Welcome to the on-line version
of the 2009 Open Space and Recreation Plan. Printed copies are
available at the Town Hall and Library. CDs of this
publication can also be made available. Email the West
Newbury Open Space Committee for details.

The 2009 Open
Space and Recreation Plan focused the energies of the Open SpaceCommittee and, with the cooperation of the citizens and other
Town boards and other groups, the following were accomplished in the
preceding five years, many of which were identified in the 2003 Five
Year Action Plan:

Autumn
in West Newbury

By initiating a collaborative effort with the Moseley
Trust, Essex County Greenbelt Association, and the Town, the Open
Space Committee helped create what is now known as the Indian Hill
Farm Reservation. Our advocacy helped preserve part of the
historically significant Indian Hill Farm property for public
passive recreation and public enjoyment of hilltop views of the
surrounding country side and reservoir from Indian Hill.

The Open Space Committee advocated for and helped
define the conservation restriction placed on a portion of the
Berkenbush family’s Chestnut Hill Farm property. This restriction
allows public passage across fields and woodland to views of the
Merrimac River and eagle habitat not otherwise accessible to the
public

Major strides were made in the mapping, management and
maintenance of trails, culminating in the publication of maps of
some of our trails on the Open Space Website and delivering handouts
of the maps at Annual Town Meeting 2008.The work is ongoing and we have been joined by individual
volunteers, the West Newbury Driving and Riding Club, the Department
of Public Works, Merrimac Valley Planning Commission and the Essex
County Trail Association in our efforts. GPS mapping and
maintenance of trails is ongoing.

The Open Space Committee, Finance Director, and
members of many other committees finalized a management plan for
Riverbend in 2008. The Committee worked with the Mill
Pond Committee and other stakeholders on a revision of the
Management Plan for Pipestave Hill.

In 2004 the Open Space Committee supported the inclusion of the
Town in the Essex County Trails Association.

he Open Space Committee worked closely with the
Planning Board to identify opportunities to preserve and expand
trails throughout the Town wherever possible by creating or
maintaining linkages. A standard trail easement was drafted for use
by the Planning Board and interested landowners. The Committee is
committed to preserving, acquiring, and protecting a permanent
Town-wide trail system.

The Open Space Committee created interest in passage
of the Community Preservation Act and rallied support for it through
public forum and discussions with the Finance Director, Finance
Committee, and Board of Selectmen. The Committee then worked to get
it passed at Special Town Meeting Fall 2005.

In 2004, with the help of talented members and
volunteers, the Open Space Committee introduced the West Newbury
Open Space Web site. The site has developed since that time and is
now a professional looking site and a resource of high quality,
linked to the Town website. The site will continue to evolve.

The Open Space Committee revised the protocol for
expenditures for the Land Preservation and Growth Management Bond
fund (now depleted).

The Open Space Committee advocated, along with the
Workforce Housing Trust and the Community Housing Committee, for a
cooperative alliance between the Open Space Committee and Affordable
Housing stakeholders to provide diverse housing in West Newbury with
a commitment to developments that preserve open space and trails.

The 1996 Open Space and
Recreation Plan recommended that West Newbury develop active,
youth-oriented recreation facilities. Between that time and 2002,
the Town committed $600,000 to the development of additional fields
on Pipestave Hill and behind the Page School to meet active
recreation needs. These fields are now complete and in use.

In 2007, a group of parent
volunteers working with independent contractors spent eight months
refurbishing the Action Cove playground and bringing it up to code.
Also in 2008, the Park and Recreation Department ran a five-week
summer day camp for Town youth from kindergarten to sixth grade.
The camp served 125 Town youth – an
average of 70 in the camp daily – and charged a nominal fee ($125
for two weeks) since it was subsidized by a Moseley Foundation
grant. The camp will be offered again in the summer of 2009 year at
an increased weekly fee.

Since 1998, the town has
expended $1,027,400 for the purchase of 305.88 acres open space
land or conservation restrictions; Riverbend, Pipestave Hill CR,
Cherry Hill Viewshed, Berkenbush CR, and Indian Hill CR. During the
same span of time, the town has expended $6,125,000 to purchase
241.47 acres of land for municipal uses such as water, housing or
other undeclared future municipal purposes; Craven, Mullen, Dunn,
Cherry Hill – well site, Andreas property. For more details, see
Appendix D for List of Town Expenditures for Land.

The 2009 Open
Space and Recreation Plan builds upon the previous two plans
completed in 1996 and 2003. While its goals reiterate and expand on
the goals identified in these previous two plans, the goals have
also been developed from input from a Town-wide Survey conducted in
June 2008, from deliberations of the Committee during regular
monthly meetings, public forums, and input from other Town boards.
Looking ahead to the next five years, the major goals of the Open
Space and Recreation Plan are:

1.Preserve the Town’s rural character, charm, and sense of community
by protecting the agricultural heritage of West Newbury, its scenic
vistas, architectural gems, and housing diversity.

2.Protect and manage key natural resources, including water
protection, and wildlife corridors.

3.Provide passive and active recreational activities for all
townspeople, by developing and managing trail systems and other
public amenities.

Section Nine of
the Plan, the Five Year Action Plan, identifies specific actions
that the Open Space Committee recommends be undertaken in order to
accomplish these goals. There is much more to do!

West Newbury is a beautiful small town with an
overriding characteristic of rural charm. In order to preserve this
rural charm there has been much participation and support of private
citizens, town government and non-profit organizations.
Through their efforts we have a significant amount of 1,874 acres of
protected open space and a fairly extensive trail system. The mandate of the 2009 OSRP is to continue to
preserve what remains of the rural character of the Town by
continuing to identify and preserve priority parcels, having a
management plan in place to maintain the existing preserved parcels
and to meet the challenges of further development pressures. The
Plan seeks to continue to be a useful tool for the community towards
achieving the goals identified through the 2009 OSRP planning
process.

The updated Open Space and Recreation Plan is designed to help
continue the long-term, dynamic, and ongoing process by which
the Town evaluates and addresses its open space and recreation
needs in the coming years.

.B. Planning Process and Public Participation

West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation Plan
(OS&RP) was developed and written by members of the West Newbury
Open Space Committee throughout 2008 and early 2009.

Appointed by the West Newbury Board of
Selectmen, the Open Space and Recreation Committee has nine members:
seven voting members, and two associate members. During most of the preparation of the 2009
OS&RP, several of the current members had served on the Committee
since March 1996, when the original Open Space and Recreation
Committee was appointed.

These original members were active participants
in the creation of the Town’s 1996 Open Space and Recreation Plan
and have brought continuity and an historical perspective to the
revised Plan. Three new members, one previous member along with
other members of the community, have brought fresh energy, new
perspectives, and hard work to the current Plan revision.

Table 2-1: 2009 West Newbury Open Space and Recreation
Plan Committee Members and Participants

In order to update this plan the OSC met at
least monthly during most of the spring of 2007 through 2008 and
into 2009. All of our meetings were posted public meetings with
public participation encouraged.

Open Space and Recreation Survey

In order to update the previous plan we again
needed the input from the entire West Newbury community. We devised
a new survey partially based on the previous Open Space and
Recreation Plan Community Survey with input from the Parks and
Recreation liason. Upon approval from the full OSC the survey was
mailed June 10, 2008 to all 1650 households and P O Boxes. Both the
West Newbury News and the Newburyport Daily News ran an article
notifying the residents to the fact that they would be receiving the
survey and the importance of participating in it.

June 27, 2008 was the deadline for the
completion of the survey. 333 surveys were returned by mail to the
Open Space Committee or delivered to collection boxes at the GAR
Library, 1910 Office Building or to the West Newbury Food Mart.

Survey results were tabulated by Mike
Mokrzyeki. Narrative responses were categorized by Mike Mokrzyeki
and received by members of the committee. A summary of the survey
was compiled by Jean Lambert and Jennifer Germain and handed out at
the fall Town Meeting, October 20, 2008. The results were also
published in a press release in both the West Newbury News and The
Newburyport Daily News. (See Appendix B for survey and survey
summary document.)

Updating Sections 3, 4 and 5

Starting in 2008, the Committee was also
reviewing, researching and updating the extensive background
material found in sections 3,4, and 5 of the Plan. This phase was
allocated to various committee members. It involved a lot of hard
work and consultation with many Town Departments including among
others, the Conservation Commission, Planning Board, Board of Water
Commissioners and the Finance Department. As the information was
updated it was discussed at each meeting. It was also posted in the
minutes for all who were interested to see.

Planned Development Working Meetings

Taking our lead from the survey and with all
the updated input the Open Space Committee worked hard to revise the
Plan. Throughout the almost two years, many of the meetings’
discussions were about how to go forward with the Town’s current
open space and recreation priorities. Any data that needed to be
revised including maps and statistics was completed. The Merrimack
Valley Planning Commission was consulted and most helpful in
redesigning the various maps.

West
Newbury is located approximately 35 miles north of Boston in the
Merrimack Valley region. Encompassing an area of roughly 14
square miles, it is bordered on the north and west by the Merrimack
River, on the east by Newburyport, and on the south by Newbury and
Groveland. The Town falls primarily within the Merrimack River
watershed, but the southeastern portion of Town lies within the
Parker River watershed. The Town is just inland of the coastal
zone, and is characterized by a rolling landscape of hills, open
fields, and woods interlaced by freshwater wetlands.

West Newbury is, for the most part, a
semi-rural residential community that once boasted many working
farms. Today, as old agricultural fields are sold to
developers, the Town is becoming increasingly suburbanized.
Since the early 1990s, West Newbury lost a great deal of open space
-- particularly along the Merrimack River and off of Route113 (Main
Street) -- to new housing developments. In fact the northwestern
quadrant of the town was classified as “urban” as a result of the
2000 census. (MVPC Transport Map).

Commerce

There are no industries in West Newbury, and
there are relatively few commercial establishments. Aside from
individuals who farm their own lands, work at small local
businesses, or telecommute, most residents commute to work in other
nearby towns, or to more distant jobs via nearby freeways (Routes
I-95 and I-495), commuter rail lines, and bus lines. These
commuter options provide easy access to Boston and the Route 128 and
Route 495 corridors, making West Newbury an attractive location for
commuters.

Growth

Like West Newbury, several of its smaller
neighboring communities (Newbury, Groveland, and Merrimac) have
experienced unprecedented growth, which has had a major impact on
schools and Town services. The communities are grappling with this
issue in a variety of ways, including current Open Space Planning
efforts, Master Plan efforts, and growth management bylaws.

Shared Resources

The Pentucket School System: West
Newbury joined with the nearby Towns of Groveland and Merrimac to
form the Pentucket Regional Middle and High Schools in the late
1950's. In the mid 1990's, the Towns expanded this partnership to
include the elementary school system as well. The Pentucket
Regional School System is a generally successful partnership between
the three communities. The school system's total student enrollment
has decreased from a high of almost 3,400 in 2001 to 3,224 in 2007
and is projected to decrease by a further 17% over the next ten
years.

Note:
Page Elementary School ranks as one of the top schools in the
state. The school’s 6th grade ranked number 1
in Reading out of 565 schools and 4th out of 565 schools
in 6th grade Math, 10th in 5th
grade science out of 912 schools and 22nd out of
1002 schools in 3rd grade Reading. Source:
Pentucket Business Office.

Water Supply: In 1936 West Newbury
established a municipal drinking water supply upon which about two
thirds of the Town depends. Currently, West Newbury has only a
shallow well field that supplies insufficient water year-round.
Therefore the water supply is supplemented by purchasing water from
the City of Newburyport at retail rates. Ironically, Newburyport’s
water supply is primarily sourced from two reservoirs that were
built along the Artichoke River watershed in West Newbury. The
adjoining communities of Groveland and the Byfield area of Newbury
rely on municipal well-fields. West Newbury supplies water to the
Pentucket High School and Groveland supplies water to the Pentucket
Middle School.

Merrimack River: The Merrimack River,
which defines a seven-mile boundary on the north side of West
Newbury, is the region's preeminent river. West Newbury shares the
river not only with adjacent Towns, but also with communities
upriver (Haverhill, Lowell, Lawrence, etc.) and downriver (Amesbury,
Newburyport, Salisbury). In the past, upstream industries and sewage
treatment plants badly polluted the Merrimack, but within the last
thirty years major efforts from communities along the river have led
to dramatic improvements in its water quality. West Newbury Harbor
Commission contributes to these efforts by providing a pump-out
service to local boaters.

An outstanding scenic resource, the Merrimack
is now clean enough for fishing, and provides opportunities for
boating of all types; with canoeing, kayaking and sculling becoming
more popular. Motorized pleasure craft do contribute to bank
erosion, despite speed limits in many places. Wildlife is now
abundant and, after many decades, bald eagles returned to nest along
the Merrimack in West Newbury in 2007. In 2008 the State appointed
a new design team for renovations to the Rocks Village Bridge. This
spans the Merrimack River and is shared by West Newbury, Haverhill,
and Merrimac. The bridge upgrade is expected to include the
addition of a pedestrian walkway and is not likely to be closed
during construction.

Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area:
West Newbury shares the state-owned Crane Pond Wildlife Management
Area (WMA) with neighboring Newbury, Groveland and Georgetown.
Approximately 350 acres of the WMA lie within West Newbury. This
land is comprised of wooded uplands, wetlands, and grasslands and
provides an excellent mix of wildlife habitats. The Wildlife
Management Area is used by hunters during the fall hunting season
and by hikers, wildlife observers, horseback riders, mountain
bikers, cross country skiers, and snowmobilers at other times of the
year. In recent years, extensive beaver activity has created large
areas of wetlands and has interrupted trail access in this area
except in deep winter when it is still passable.

Curzon's Mill Bridge: The Commonwealth,
with the cooperation of West Newbury and Newburyport, restored the
old Curzon's Mill Bridge over the Artichoke River for the use of
foot, bike, and horse traffic. This project connects the two
communities along the Merrimack River.

B. History of the Community

Early Colonial History and Establishment of
West Newbury

West Newbury shares its early history with the
neighboring communities of Newbury, Newburyport, Byfield and Plum
Island, all of which were originally part of the Town of Newbury.

In 1635 about 100 Puritan emigrants from
Wiltshire, England, led by Reverend Thomas Parker, settled on the
north bank of the river subsequently named for their leader. Their
first church or meeting house and homes were clustered in the area
of today’s Lower Green. Agricultural lots of 4, 50 or 200 acres were
allocated according to each settler’s financial contribution to the
community.

The development of West Newbury began when the
Newbury "Upper Commons" was allotted to freeholders for pasture and
woodlots in 1642 . Twenty years later a highway was laid out between
the Artichoke River and the Bradford line after which the remainder
of the Upper Commons was divided into 111 parcels, and assigned by
lottery. These were laid out on either side of this road (now Main
Street), with 64 on the north side and 46 on the south side. Each
was approximately 27 acres in size and property owners were required
to fence their boundaries. Many of the resulting stone walls are
still evident throughout the town.

Newburyport became an important seaport and
separated from agrarian Newbury in 1762. West Newbury was not
incorporated as a separate town until 1819. It was at first named
Parsons then renamed as West Newbury one year later.

The first church was built on Pipestave Hill in
1710. This hill was so named for the staves made from the hill’s oak
trees - used to build large barrels or “pipes” for shipping goods to
England. A pipe could hold over 200 gallons of rum, molasses or
smoked salmon and sturgeon that was once plentiful in the Merrimac
River.

In 1731 another church was built on Meeting
House Hill. Neither of these structures survived but a third one
built in 1759 still sits on the corner of Main Street and Way to the
River although this has been converted to a residence within the
last few years.

Nineteenth Century Growth

This was a period of burgeoning prosperity and
significant growth for West Newbury. A variety of
manufacturing enterprises were established, including the horn comb
industry started by Enoch Noyes in 1759. This became a major
employer with 30 comb shops operating during the 1800s The last
Noyes comb was made in 1904 when horn was superseded by other
materials and newer technology put the plant out of business

By 1875 there were seven factories making shoes
including the Ruddock Shoe Factory employing 250 workers. Quality of
the shoes was well known and prize winning shoes from West Newbury
were exhibited at Chicago’s World Fair in 1893.

Carriage building, leather tanning, and brick
making were also important industries. Enoch Bailey (of Bailey’s
Lane) was known to have employed some 20 people in his carriage
building shop close to the Training Field which was also established
in this period.

During the Nineteenth Century the town
developed a new character. Early improvements to services and
infrastructure included a covered bridge at Rocks Village and a mail
stage coach service between Haverhill and Newburyport. The Town Hall
and a large new Congregational Church were built close to Main
Street. The second half of the century saw the beginning of a
municipal water supply with two public wells dug at the Town Square
and at the Training Field. In 1883 both the first firehouse and a
sizeable wharf at the bottom of Whetstone Street were completed; the
first ship to load its cargo there was a 150’ long, three-masted
schooner with 100 tons of freight – horn scraps destined for
Philadelphia. Another major project was the construction of rail
line for horse cars from Haverhill to Newburyport that opened in
1886. This was subsequently replaced by an electric trolley line in
1897 that ran until the 1930’s.

After the Civil War and by the 1870s the
population grew to over 2000 residents and the composition of the
townspeople became more diverse. The Irish Potato Famine of the
1840s created an influx of Irish immigrants who were employed in
both agriculture and manufacturing. Many West Newbury residents
still have Irish family names. The Irish brought with them a
Catholic culture and St. Ann’s Catholic Church was built in 1879 to
preclude their need to cross the river to Merrimac for church
services.

Changes in the 20th Century

The first half of this century saw a decline in
population. In 1925 there were only 1337 residents in West Newbury.
Loss of most of the manufacturing industries, a nation-wide economic
depression and two world wars made their impact. Appropriately for
the time, a home for orphans and homeless boys, the House of the
Angel Guardian, was built on Pipestave Hill in 1927. (This later
became the Cardinal Cushing Academy, a Catholic preparatory school,
which in 1973 was purchased by the Town for use as an elementary
school.)

Agriculture once again became the mainstay of
the town’s economy. In 1919 there were 40 dairy herds in town (by
1969 there were only 4 and in 2009 there are none). Other
significant agrarian businesses were Long Hill Orchard and Cherry
Hill Nurseries. First planted with 3000 trees in 1915, Long Hill
Orchard was expanded to some 170 acres by the 1930s. To deal with
the large crop, seasonal pickers from Canada and later Jamaica were
accommodated in a dormitory built on the farm. Under the Ladd’s the
orchard produced a record crop of 45,000 bushels of apples in 1982
and was one of the ten largest producers in the state, shipping
apples to Florida, Canada and England. The orchard has since been
less well-maintained, with some subdivided for residential use.

Cherry Hill was first established as a nursery
for fruit trees by George Thurlow in 1832. His son later expanded to
propagating and growing ornamental plants and shade trees. By the
early 1900s peonies became an important part of the Thurlow family’s
business which exported them to Canada, Europe and China. Over 150
acres, much of it rented from other land owners, was still under
cultivation in 1990. However the nursery is now closed and, like
much of West Newbury, the farm has been developed for residential
purposes.

Additions to civic infrastructure during the
first part of the century included All Saints Episcopal Church, the
GAR library and in 1910 the Central School (now the Town Offices)
built to replace the nine District Schools scattered through the
town. The Regional Pentucket schools were built between 1958 and
1967.

The failed industrial enterprises, begun in the
mid 1800's, left the Town's citizens to rely on the land for their
livelihoods. West Newbury remained primarily a farming community
until after World War II. The Town's agrarian tradition can be seen
today in its dwindling hay fields, apple orchards, cultivated lands,
Christmas tree farms, and greenhouses. However the most telling
impact of the Twentieth Century was the massive increase in suburban
homes built for commuters to other centers of employment once the
motor car became the ubiquitous and primary means of transport. .
The population more than doubled during the second half of this
century to over 4000 residents in 2000 bringing a new diversity to
the town.

Settlement Patterns

Settlement patterns dating from the 1600's and
1700's have defined West Newbury's present-day layout. The
following map of the "West Parish" (Figure 3-1) dates from 1729 and
shows striking similarities to today's West Newbury. With the
exception of modern subdivisions, the town’s present road system was
well established by the early 1700's. As the map indicates, homes,
businesses and community buildings were concentrated along Bradford
Road (now Main Street/Route 113). By 1887 it was reported that one
half the population lived on Main Street and the other half lived
within a five minute walk.

While there has never been a single distinct
town center, Elwell Square at the Maple Street intersection and the
Training Field at the Bailey’s Lane intersection have long been the
two focus points of commercial and civic activity.

The population of West Newbury grew by 260%
from 1950 to 2000 (2000 Census), with consistent population
increases averaging around 20% for each decade during this period.
This rate of increase was about twice that of the average for the
Merrimack Valley region over the same period of time and much faster
than that of Massachusetts (135%) or the United States as a whole
(186%) for the half century.

The population of the Town was 3,421 in 1990,
and grew to 4,149 by the 2000 census. It is anticipated (by
Merrimack Valley Planning Commission projections) that the Town will
continue to grow at a rate of about 20% per decade. In June 2008
town population was 4,528.

Children

West Newbury has many young families. There
were just over 1,000 children of school age according to the 2000
census. At that time the average household size (3.05 persons) was
higher than that for the region as a whole (2.88 persons). Within
the fifteen Merrimack Valley region communities, West Newbury had
the second highest percentage of children under eighteen.

Seniors

In 2000 West Newbury had the lowest percentage
of people aged 65 and over in the Merrimack Valley Region. However,
the 2004 Community Development Plan cites “significant growth in the
45-65 year age group and in the older ages over 65 and especially
for residents over 75 years old”. With one development of 56 unites
for over 55 residents in process, the future proportion of seniors
in the population will increase.

Racial Diversity

West Newbury is not an ethnically diverse
community. In 2000, over 98% of the population was Caucasian.

Income

West Newbury's median household income ($99,050
according to 2000 data) is the second highest in the Merrimack
Valley region, and far exceeds the state average of $61,664. Over
80% of households were dual-income families and 93% of homes are
owner-occupied. As of 1999, 79% of West Newbury workers were
classified as "white collar;" again, the second highest percentage
for the region.

Environmental justice populations

As describe above, West Newbury does not have a
diverse population in terms of race, income, immigrant populations
or foreign languages spoken. As a result, this Plan does not
include the map related to environmental justice.

Employers

Many West Newbury residents work in the greater
Boston area; others commute to Newburyport, Haverhill, Lawrence and
Lowell. The largest employers within the community are the
Pentucket Regional School System, the Town of West Newbury, and the
Children's Castle (a day-care facility). There are no manufacturers
in the Town, but there are a variety of small service-oriented
businesses, some home-based businesses and an assortment of
agriculturally based businesses. Under current zoning regulations,
it is unlikely that West Newbury will support a major manufacturing
or commercial employer in the foreseeable future. There are a
variety of small service-oriented businesses and an assortment of
agriculturally based businesses.

A long-held priority of many of West Newbury’s committees and
boards is to maintain a diverse population of young families,
empty nesters, and retirees. Home to many families with high
incomes and small children, West Newbury is in danger of pricing
older, lifelong residents out of their own community, due to
increasing land values and higher taxes.

Our open space goals must be compatible with the needs of all
residents, ensuring active and passive recreation
opportunities for young and old while keeping space open for
future municipal needs such as schools, affordable housing, and
water wells.

The Town will continue to address the rapid rate of residential
growth through mechanisms to guide the conversion of open lands
to residential areas.

The Town must continue to preserve "critical" open space,
including areas of special scenic, recreational, environmental,
and municipal value to the community.

D. Growth and Development Patterns

Patterns and Trends

Concentration of homes along Main Street and
the Merrimack River:

Main Street has always been most densely built
and most of the large tracts of land along this road have now been
developed. During the last twenty years many new homes were built
along the Merrimack River. Once considered the "undesirable" part of
Town when the river was badly polluted, the riverside is now a
highly sought-after place to live.

New construction on Main Street and along the
river has been permitted with new lots created under the Form A
statute and subdivision regulations, (Lots must meet minimum
frontage requirements along existing roads), or as Definitive
Subdivision plans.

Expansion to Outlying Areas:
Residential construction is now spread more widely throughout the
Town. Recent developments have been small and built with either Form
A plan endorsement or Definitive Subdivision approval. Those built
since the last plan include Indian Hill (4 lots 2003), Dole Place (5
lots 2006), Stewart St (4 lots 2006.) Typically these new homes
have been in excess of 3,000 square feet and in 2007 the estimated
value of the average new home in West Newbury was $495,000.

Speed of Residential Development: The
graph that follows shows new house building has slowed since the
peak in 1993 when Twig Rush, the Town's largest (40-home)
subdivision was being built. The slow down since may reflect
increased land costs, fewer easy to develop parcels, ongoing
preservation efforts and the recent downturn in the economy. In 2008
the first approved over 55 development countered this trend. Of the
thirteen building permits issued, twelve were for condominiums.

Source: Town of West Newbury, Annual Town Reports 2008

Current Projects: In 2009 there is one
major residential project under construction in West Newbury. This
is a condominium development of 56 town houses for over 55 residents
at Ocean Meadow, 823 Main Street. A subdivision of three lots at
Bailey’s Lane (Long Hill)is currently under construction.

Future Projects:
A development at 365 Main Street was proposed, but the application
has been withdrawn. It proposed 52 units of over-55 housing.
Other approved developments are: 9 lots Dole Place; (currently
expired) 6 lots 902 Main St (currently expired); A town initiated
proposal for an intergenerational village, including 20 units of
senior rental housing, planned for a town owned 35 acre parcel along
Main Street, recently failed to pass at Town Meeting (April 2009).

Roads: West Newbury's location provides
it with easy access to several major transportation routes including
Interstates 95 and 495, US. Route 1, State Routes 1A, 97, 110, 113
and 133. Route 113 (Main Street) bisects the community, and other
major routes are within a short distance of the Town. Interstate 95
runs north-south through the eastern end of Town and is accessible
via Main Street (Route 113) and South Street. Routes 1 (Newburyport
Turnpike) and 1A parallel I-95 to the east, and run south past Route
128 to Boston, and north to New Hampshire. Routes 110 (through
Merrimac), 113 (through West Newbury) and 133 (through Georgetown)
run east-west, providing easy access to Merrimac, Amesbury,
Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Newburyport, and other north shore
communities.

The Bachelor Street/Indian Hill route has
become a major commuter link to Newburyport and I-95 and has been
upgraded to carry the increased traffic flow. Ash Street, currently
unpaved in one section, is used, when passable, by commuters to
Route I95 at the Byfield intersection. Bridge and Church Streets to
the Rocks Village Bridge and Route I-495 are also heavily traveled
link routes.

Aside from these routes the roads are typically
winding, scenic country roads suited for hiking, biking, jogging and
nature observation although increased traffic is beginning to
compromise their recreational value. Necessary road improvements
have changed the narrow, camel-backed nature of West Newbury’s
country lanes to roads that can be traveled at greater speeds. These
improvements caused a great deal of discussion and controversy
within the Town, which ultimately led to the passage of the Scenic
Roads By-Law in 2002. The Existing Infrastructure Map shows
the Town's roads and water supply system.

Public Transportation: No railroad
enters West Newbury, but two MBTA rail lines are nearby. One of the
two lines passes through Haverhill en route to Portland, Maine from
Boston; the other runs from Boston to Newburyport. Both the
Haverhill and Newburyport lines offer daily service to Boston and
points in between. Amtrak’s Downeaster express trains run between
Boston and Portland, Maine with a stop at Haverhill.

Express bus services operated by C&J Trailways
and the Coach Company are available from Newburyport to several
destinations in Boston, including Logan Airport. Service is also
available to Portsmouth and Durham, New Hampshire. The Newburyport
Park & Ride (which supports both C&J and Coach Company service)
contains about 400 parking spaces and will be expanded by 150 spaces
by the end of 2009. There is other commuter service from Haverhill
and Groveland.

The Merrimac Valley Regional Transit Authority
offers an on-call van service called ‘Ring and Ride’ for riders of
all ages within West Newbury and nearby towns.

Other Transportation: Air travel to all
parts of the world is available to West Newbury residents from Logan
Airport in Boston, and from Manchester Airport in Manchester, NH.
In addition, nearby Lawrence has a municipal airport approved for
commercial flights. There is a commercial seaplane base at Methuen
as well as a Coast Guard seaplane base at Salem, NH. There are also
a number of private fields in the county, including the historical
Plum Island Airport in Newbury.

There are eleven coastal harbors in Essex
County. The harbor at Newburyport is used primarily by pleasure
boats and small commercial craft. The Merrimack River affords
additional opportunities for pleasure boating.

Transportation services for elderly Town
residents are available from the West Newbury Council on Aging. The
Council on Aging does not provide regularly scheduled transportation
service to its members, but it does provide transportation for
special group outings. It also provides individual transportation
by prior arrangement.

Infrastructure: Water Supply System

Background: West Newbury purchased
water from the Town of Groveland until 1979. In October of that
year, two of Groveland's wells were found to be contaminated with
trichloroethene (TCE), and West Newbury began to purchase water from
the City of Newburyport. In December of 1990 West Newbury brought
its own well field on line.

Source: West Newbury Water Department 2008

The Town Wellfield: The West Newbury
wellfield is located on the Town line with Newburyport, near the
Artichoke Reservoir. The Town's wellfield consists of nine shallow
wells that are permitted to pump 200,000 gallons of water per day.
Under conditions that limit aquifer recharge, yield can go down to
half that amount. During periods of peak water usage, especially
the summer, and while recharging the aquifer, the Town purchases
water from Newburyport to augment its own supply. Daily peak-season
water purchases from Newburyport average 300,000 gallons. Future
supplements to West Newbury's water supply by Newburyport may be at
risk as the city has started supplying water to Plum Island
residents. The Town commissioned a water master plan, which was
completed in 2001 and also completed a separate hydraulic study in
October of 2003 in order to evaluate more specifically the condition
of the system and identify needed improvements. The Study was
updated in May 2008.

Water Service and Usage: Roughly 63% of
the Towns’ dwellings (912 homes) are served by Town water,
the remainder by private wells. The present Town water system
covers the western section of the Town and also runs the length of
Main Street (see Figure 3-3). All new developments built within
1,000 feet of the water main must be connected to the water system.
Between 1990 and 2008 daily water usage in West Newbury increased
from an average of 174,490 gallons per day to 240,000 gallons per
day. During the summer months residents use approximately 100,000
gallons per day to irrigate their lawns. That is one third of the
daily water supply. In 1999 the Town adopted a bylaw requiring rain
sensors on irrigation systems to prevent unnecessary watering. In
2003 the Town adopted the In-Ground Irrigation Bylaw. As of August
29, 2003, irrigation systems cannot be connected to the municipal
water system. Systems installed before that datehave been
grandfathered.

Source: West Newbury Water Department 2008

Search for a New Well: The West Newbury
Water Department is currently looking for and testing new well
sites. The Andreas well site off Indian Hill Street was purchased
in January 2004 and the Dunn property off Chase Street was purchased
in 2002. Both are deep bedrock wells and were purchased for future
well development. In 2008 the Water Department drilled test wells
on the town-owned Mullen property off Church Street, but the site
proved unsuitable for a well field.

Infrastructure: Sewer Service

Current sewer service: West Newbury has
no municipal sewerage system and has no plans to construct one. All
sewage is disposed of via on-site systems. Septage (the material
pumped from septic tanks) is transported by local haulers to the
Greater Lawrence Sanitary District in North Andover. Each
residential or commercial building must have its own on-site
subsurface sewage disposal system constructed in accordance with the
Department of Environmental Protection's Title 5 Regulations and
local regulations. This requirement currently limits development to
those areas where such sewage disposal systems may be located.

New allowable systems: While that will
continue to be true, the nature of allowable systems has changed.
One sort of change is the advent of “shared systems.” Known
variously as “community systems” or “package plants”, they use
existing, approved technology to provide a single waste treatment
system to service multiple dwellings. In West Newbury, the Housing
Authority already uses such a system, as does the condominium
development at Ocean Meadow.

In 1995, the Title 5 regulations were revised
to allow new alternative/innovative wastewater treatment and
disposal technologies in Massachusetts. As of June 2001, DEP had
approved nearly 50 different Innovative/Alternative technologies for
use in Massachusetts, and DEP and local boards of health had
approved more than 1,350 individual installations across the state.

Impact on Town: One effect of the
greater use of shared systems and the adoption of Innovative
Technology by DEP will be to allow the development for housing of
parcels that have been previously thought un-developable.

Other Towns in the state have been forced to
construct municipal sewerage systems to address water quality
problems from failing septic systems. The Town has no known
problems with septic systems polluting ground or surface waters, and
should remain diligent in preventing this from happening.

Regulations relating to sewage treatment currently play a
critical role in determining where development may occur within
Town. If the Town were ever forced to construct a municipal
sewerage system in order to correct water quality problems, many
lands that are not currently developable under Board of Health
regulations would become buildable. Relaxed Title 5
regulations, along with DEP approval of new
innovative/alternative wastewater treatment technology, will
also open previously undevelopable lands to development.

Infrastructure: Recreation

Recreation facilities:

Field

Description

Town-Owned Playing Fields for Team Sports - Managed by
the Parks & Rec. Committee

Cammett Park

3 baseball
fields

Pipestave
Hill

1 baseball field

4 soccer/ lacrosse
fields

Page School

1 playground

2 pre-school
playgrounds

2 softball fields

Pentucket Regional School
District Fields - Owned & managed by the regional school
system

Pentucket High School

4 tennis courts

1 football field

1 baseball field

1 multipurpose
(track, soccer)

1 multipurpose
(field hockey, softball & youth teams)

Recreation participation: In 2008, the
number of children who participated in the town sports was

Baseball (t-ball, Little
league, Babe Ruth), 225 players

Lacrosse, 175 players

Soccer, 300 players

In addition to these organized youth programs
other members of the community use the tennis courts at Pentucket
and some casual adult soccer teams play at Pipestave. West Newbury
Riding & Driving Club maintains and uses the two horse rings and
cross-country jump course atPipestave and run regular events
there each year.

While most of the
outdoor sports mentioned above are well served, the Parks and
Recreation Committee recognize the need for town-owned tennis courts
and basketball courts for which there is a special demand in the
summer months. The Park and Recreation Commission is exploring the
need for a community recreation facility, to include areas for
basketball and fitness programs, for use by youth, adults and
seniors.

Long Term Development Patterns: Planning Measures

Zoning Bylaws: West Newbury's Zoning
Bylaw, first adopted in 1954, created five zoning districts; three
of which are residential. The Bylaw was most recently revised in
2009.

Table 3-1: West Newbury Zoning Districts

District RA

Covers much of the southern half of Town and requires an 80,000 square-foot minimum lot with 200 feet of frontage.

District RB

Is concentrated in the northern part of Town and requires
a 40,000 square-foot minimum lot with 200 feet of frontage.

District RC

Borders Main Street and requires a 20,000 square-foot
minimum lot with 150 feet of frontage.

Business District

Located at the intersection of Main Street and Maple
Street, this small district permits retail and service establishments,
banks, offices, restaurants, and gasoline service stations.
There is no minimum lot size, but a 100-foot frontage is required.

Industrial District

Located east of Interstate 95, this district has no
minimum lot size. It is currently not occupied by industry, although manufacturing, storage, and wholesale distribution are permitted. State ownership of much of the district and
wet soil conditions have discouraged development in this district.

Professional offices, restaurants, and conversions to two housing
units per residential structure are allowed in all districts if
plans meet specific zoning requirements or if they receive a special
permit from the Planning Board.
The Town also has an identified Flood Plain
District, mandated by the State, within which no building or filling
is allowed.

Open Space Preservation Development: In
2001 the Town voted to replace the former Cluster Zoning bylaw with
a new Open Space Preservation Development Special Permit (OSPD )
zoning bylaw, Section 6.B. (or “Green Neighborhood” zoning). The
bylaw requires that at least 60% of the parcel(s) are preserved as
open space. The homes in an Open Space Preservation Development are
sited together in areas that offer views of and access to the
preserved open space. By implementing such a regulation, the Town
seeks to preserve open space for all residents without limiting the
property rights of the individual landowner. As examples, Kimball
Road Extension, Ocean Meadow, and Nichols/Dole Place (now expired), have been approved with an OSPD Special Permit

Community Development Plan 2004: This
plan informs the Planning Board’s work and includes recommendations
to:

Encourage more service and retail
businesses.

Improve the Town Center, create more
parking and improve traffic control.

Decrease the consumption of land for
housing units by increasing housing density (multi-family units
and mixed use construction) especially in the business zone
along Rte 113.

Meet housing needs for specific
populations, over 55, seniors and lower income residents.

Inclusionary Housing Requirements: In
2006 the town adopted an Inclusionary Housing Requirements Zoning
Bylaw, Section 5.F., The bylaw requires that 10% of new housing of
three or more dwelling units created in a project must be
“affordable” under the specified criteria, which conform to the
requirements of M.G.L. Chapter 40B.

Community Housing Initiative: A
Community Housing Committee was established to research and
recommend options for increasing affordable, senior, and starter
housing. This committee brought a proposal for an intergenerational
village, including 20 units of senior rental housing, for 35 acres
of town owned land on Main Street (Mullen property) to Town Meeting
in April 2009. The proposal was defeated.

Funding for Community Preservation:
In 2007 the town voted to adopt the provisions of the Community
Preservation Act. This levies a 3% real estate tax surcharge,
matched by state funding to provide for open space, recreation
facilities, historic preservation, and affordable housing.

3. Development Patterns: Impacts of Growth

Current challenges: As the Town’s 2000
Comprehensive Plan points out, the Town’s nature “is
‘semi-rural,’ or a country village with telltale signs of an
emerging suburban form” and the transition to suburban is well
underway.The effects of development include:

The Town's wellfield is insufficient to meet peak
water demands, necessitating the purchase of supplemental water from
Newburyport and a need to identify new water supplies in the town.

Traffic
continues to increase.

Town
administrative, public safety, education, and other municipal
expenditures continue to rise.

Build-Out: As described more fully in
the Comprehensive Plan, under fully built-out conditions, West
Newbury will look very different than it does today. There are many
large parcels of private, unprotected, or temporarily protected land
remaining within the community that could (and will, if left
unprotected) eventually be converted to residential use.

In the absence of
efforts to preserve open land, the Town's 1999 Comprehensive Plan
projected a nearly 100% increase in residential dwellings over the
next 20 years. Development of this scale will transition the town
from "semi-rural" to suburban, and will put huge pressures on
already stressed infrastructures such as schools and the water
supply.

Growth
management: To manage growth, the Town has:

Completed a Community Development Plan 2004

Conducted a build-out analysis

Implemented new zoning regulations.

Funded and spent the $5 mil. Land Preservation and
Growth Management Bond

Completed a Water Master Plan with computer hydraulic
model

Adopted provisions of the Community Preservation Act

Summary:

Continued efforts to match the growth of residential
development with the limits of our ability to fund needed services
for such growth will test the ability and creativity of our Town's
planners and Town leaders. By taking land out of the building
equation, open space preservation will continue to be an important
strategy to maintain this balance.

Left to market forces alone, current development tends
toward large expensive homes, which are not affordable to many of
those who work in the community.

The challenge to the Town and to its residents is to
encourage development that retains those characteristics that have
brought people to our quiet, semi-rural community. A related
challenge, given the high value of land, is to encourage the
development of a variety of housing options for a diverse
population.

The West Newbury terrain is gently rolling.
The landscape consists of a series of elongated drumlin hills,
upland terraces, and broad valleys formed by a succession of glacial
ice advances and retreats. Elevation ranges from less than 50 feet
above mean sea level (msl) along the Merrimack River to 260 feet
above msl on Brake Hill. Surface drainage is to the Merrimack River
(along the Town's northern boundary) and, to a lesser extent, the
Parker River basin (from the Town's southern corner).

Geology

Much of the Town is underlain by Merrimack
Quartzite bedrock, a resistant formation of fine-grained slatey
phyllite that extends in a wide belt along the Merrimack River from
the western boundary of Essex County eastward to Newburyport and
Salisbury. Much of this bedrock resisted glacial scour, and now
serves as the core of a plateau that stands somewhat above the
terrain to the east and south. Topping this plateau is a series of
elongated drumlin hills (examples are Archelaus Hill and Long Hill)
composed of thick deposits of very clayey, slowly-permeable till.
Away from the drumlins, in the lowland areas along stream courses
and wetlands, the till is irregular and thin (in places less than
several inches thick). Outcroppings of bedrock are found only in
the far-southern part of Town, and expansive deposits of sand and
gravel are essentially absent. The Clinton-Newbury fault line runs
from northeast to southwest across the southeastern corner of West
Newbury.

Soils

The soils of West Newbury vary widely, often
changing types within small areas. They range from small,
excessively-drained deposits of sand and loam on hill sides to
extensive deposits of very poorly drained organic materials and till
in wetland areas and on ridge tops. The many soil types present in
the Town have been grouped into 5 general soil associations that are
identified in Table 4-1. Descriptive information on the five
general soil associations follows Table 4-1, and includes the land
use constraints of each. The soil types grouped by development
limitations are mapped by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation
Service and are illustrated in Figure 4-1.

Impact on development

The Town continues to be divided into three
residential districts with increased density (Zone C, 20,000 sf)
being located near Main Street, which is serviced by Town water
service. The areas that require wells remain in two acre zoning
(Zone A). Thus, the “outlying” areas of Town are zoned as two
acres minimum lots, whereas lots along Main Street and towards the
Merrimac River are zoned at one-half and one-acre minimums.

Because the entire Town is reliant on private
septic systems, lot sizes are also designed around the land’s
ability to host them. In general, the soils and topography south
and east of the Main Street corridor are less capable of supporting
higher density residential development than other sections of Town.
These “outlying” areas have steeper slopes, less permeable soils,
and areas of ledge (in the southeastern corner of Town).

West Newbury's unique rural character has
attracted many newcomers. Yet despite unprecedented growth in
recent years, its long and rich agricultural history is still
evident throughout the Town, with some remaining farms, orchards,
and nurseries dotting the landscape.

Geologically speaking, West Newbury is blessed
with a landscape of rolling hills, valleys, and abundant wetlands.
This rich diversity of land types supports all manner of wildlife
and plant species.

Wending along Main Street (Route 113) and down
its less traveled side streets, quiet country lanes, and riverside
roads, West Newbury's landscape rises and dips to reveal large open
fields still used for haying, expanses of woods, and scenic hilltop
vistas. As the Town grows, the expanses of open space, especially
along the river and Main Street, have been greatly diminished. But
West Newbury has not yet lost completely it's "old New England"
flavor.

So much of West Newbury's charm and character
depends on the lively activities that occur in the Town's numerous
"centers of activity," which stretch out along and just off of Main
Street. The Townspeople conduct their daily business and attend
church services in Elwell Square, the small "commercial center" of
Town. They congregate at Cammett Park, to cheer on Little Leaguers
and soccer players in the "sports center" of Town. They come
together to enjoy seasonal celebrations at the Training Field, where
the Town's Historic District, its well-used library, and Old Town
Hall form West Newbury's "historic civic center."

Further east down Main Street, just across from
the elementary school, the community gathers each year for a Winter
Carnival at Mill Pond Recreational Area, the Town's "passive
recreation center." In addition to these community activities,
hikers, bicycle riders, cross-country skiers, horseback riders,
birders, and others make frequent use of its trails and open fields
all year long.

Just above Mill Pond on Pipestave Hill, the
"equestrian center" of Town fields frequent horse shows and the
start of the annual Myopia Hunt.

The equestrians share the hilltop with the West
Newbury Youth League’s regulation-sized soccer field and baseball
diamond — forming another “sports center” for older soccer players
and Babe Ruth ball players. In an effort to accommodate a growing
number of young baseball, soccer, and lacrosse players, the Youth
League sought and received funds in 2001 to add three new athletic
fields at Pipestave Hill, along with two new softball fields behind
the Page School.

A conservation restriction, proposed and
approved in conjunction with the athletic field expansion, protects
in perpetuity close to 200 acres of the remaining Mill
Pond/Pipestave acreage from further municipal development of any
kind. This conservation restriction is held by Essex County
Greenbelt Association. The Management Plan that accompanies this
conservation restriction was recently updated in early 2008.

These recent changes on Pipestave Hill – the
construction of new playing fields in conjunction with a
conservation restriction – represent a year-long effort by the
Pipestave Hill Land-Use Study Committee. Setting aside old
grievances and special interests, representatives of the Youth
League, the Parks & Recreation Commission, the Open Space Committee,
the Mill Pond Committee, the Conservation Commission, the Riding &
Driving Club, the Highway Department, and other, at-large members of
the community formed a unique collaboration to forge a land-use
compromise for Pipestave Hill. This compromise will serve the needs
of all West Newbury residents for generations to come.

As West Newbury grows, all of its residents can
appreciate the Town's foresight in acquiring this Conservation
Restriction, as well as in purchasing Agricultural Preservation
Restrictions on Orcland Farm, Merrill Farm, and Long Hill Orchard;
in obtaining the Cardinal Cushing Academy lands for conversion into
Page School and the Mill Pond Recreation Area; and in acquiring the
60+ acre Mingo Property for the Riverbend Conservation Area, the
100-acre Brake Hill property, and the Cherry Hill view shed. In
recent years, the town also purchased the 70 acre Dunn farm on Chase
Street, which also is adjacent to Pipestave Hill. This is targeted
for future mixed municipal use for possible well sites, school site,
housing site, and open space. More recently, the town also purchased
the Mullen property across Main Street from the 1910 Building. This
site is being evaluated for mixed use, affordable housing and open
space. A proposal for an intergenerational village including 20
units of senior rental housing on the 35 acre Mullen property failed
at the spring town meeting in April of 2009.

In December 2007 and January of 2008, the town
finalized a cooperative project with Essex County Greenbelt to
preserve 41 acres of the Indian Hill Farm. Twenty one acres of the
hill proper are owned by Greenbelt with a conservation restriction
held by the town. Greenbelt will manage this property as the Indian
Hill Farm Reservation. Another adjacent 12 acres of meadow are
privately held with a new conservation restriction held by
Greenbelt. Lastly, an 11 acre woodlot was given by the family trust
to Greenbelt in fee. This project was assisted by the state’s award
of a Self Help grant of $285,000 for the project.

Residents also benefit from the generous acts
of individual landowners who have preserved their land through
conservation restrictions, or by donating undeveloped parcels to the
Town and to private conservation trusts.

As
growth and development pressures increase, Town officials and
residents continue to work together to protect the lovely landscape
that defines the character of the Town.

The water resources of West Newbury include
both surface water and groundwater. Surface water resources consist
of a diverse array of interconnected reservoirs, streams, ponds and
wetland areas that serve important ecological functions, as well as
provide drinking water and a variety of opportunities for recreation.
Groundwater resources supply the Town’s drinking water needs
through a public water supply system and private drinking water
wells. Figure 4-2 shows the Town's surface
waters, major wetlands, flood hazard areas, Town well field and
proposed drinking water well locations, and the watershed for the
Artichoke Reservoir system (Newburyport's water supply).

Surface waters

The Merrimack River: The Merrimack is
the region's pre-eminent freshwater resource. This river forms the
Town's northern border and offers outstanding opportunities for
boating, canoeing, fishing, wildlife observation, hunting, and
scenic enjoyment. The Town owns a public boat access near the Rocks
Village Bridge, commonly used for fishing by local residents. The
boat ramp has a lot of kayak use as well as fishing boats.

The Artichoke Reservoir System: The
Artichoke Reservoir watershed covers about one third of the Town,
and is shown in Figure 4-2. The Upper and Lower Artichoke system
lies on the Town's eastern border with Newburyport. This system is
linked to the Indian Hill Reservoir, and serves as the public water
supply for the City of Newburyport. As West Newbury currently
purchases a large portion of its drinking water from the City of
Newburyport, this reservoir system also provides drinking water to
residents of West Newbury on the public water system.

Mill Pond: Mill Pondis a scenic,
16 acre impoundment of the Indian River (a partially tidal river
which connects Mill Pond to the Merrimack River). Mill Pond lies
just south and east of Main Street and is part of the Town-owned
Mill Pond Recreation Area. A cherished recreational resource, Mill
Pond was drained in 2001, and 54 thousand cubic yards of sediment
was dredged to maintain depth and prevent natural succession to
wetland.

Little Crane Pond:This small
open water body is created by a broadening of Beaver Brook near the
Town's southern border. Little Crane Pond is connected to Ash
Swamp, a 600 acre wetland system of wooded, vegetated and open
areas.

Streams: The Town's major perennial
streams are the Indian River, Beaver Brook and the Artichoke River.
These three streams and others have been afforded additional
protection by the 1996 Rivers Protection Act (http://www.state.ma.us/dep/brp/ww/files/riveract.htm).
The protections of the Rivers Act are now incorporated into the
Wetlands Protection Act regulations ( atr 310 CMR 10.58). There are
numerous tributary streams and wetlands scattered throughout the
Town. Together these waters form a rich network of fish and
wildlife habitat and afford numerous opportunities for water-based
outdoor recreation.

Flood Hazard Areas

Figure 4-2 shows the 100 year flood areas (from
the 1979 Flood Insurance Rate Map) for the Town. The flood zone
along the Merrimack River is based on high waters from the flood of
1938.

Wetlands

West Newbury's non-surface water wetlands can
be divided into five major types, which are shown in Table 4-2.

Table 4-2: Wetland
Resource Types

Type

Description

Freshwater marshes

Examples
occur throughout the Town, most notably within the
state-owned Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area (Ash Swamp)

Tidal or estuarine marshes

Examples in Town include the
low-lying areas bordering the Merrimack River, such as the
outfall of the Indian River and the shoreline north of Way
to the River Road and Emery Lane. (According to the
Massachusetts Natural Heritage Program, high quality natural
communities of this kind are rare in the state. These
particular areas bordering the Merrimack are considered the
finest example of the "Gulf of Maine Freshwater Tidal Marsh"
within the Commonwealth.)

Shrub or wooded swamps

Examples occur throughout the
Town

Wet meadows

Occur in select locations as
part of the more expansive freshwater marshes and wooded
swamps

Vernal pools

A number of as-yet
non-certified vernal pools exist within the Town. (Since
1996, one vernal pool has been certified, and further
certification efforts are being pursued by the Conservation
Commission.)

The Town has performed rough mapping of its
wetlands. Orthophoto maps, acquired from the Wetlands Conservancy
Program in the late 1990s, provide additional general wetlands
information, but do not constitute delineation of wetland resource
areas and are no substitute for an on-site delineation. The
Conservation Commission would like to update the information from
the Wetlands Conservancy Program every few years.

Aquifer Recharge Areas

Types of aquifers in West Newbury:
There are two types of aquifers which supply drinking water in West
Newbury. These are unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers and
consolidated bedrock aquifers. The unconsolidated materials lie on
top of the bedrock in varying depths and have the ability to
transmit groundwater. The Town has sought out both types of
aquifers to provide drinking water for the public water supply
system.

Unconsolidated sand and gravel aquifers:
Drinking water for the public water supply system is currently
obtained from a shallow unconsolidated aquifer located adjacent to
the Artichoke Reservoir on the eastern border of the Town. This
wellfield system consists of seven small tubular wells which may
soon be replaced by three gravel packed wells. The well field is
capable of producing an average of 200,000 gallons per day.
Numerous investigations in the past have been unsuccessful in
identifying additional unconsolidated wells with adequate production
rates for public drinking water supply. This has led to
investigations into the ability of the bedrock aquifers to provide
drinking water sources.

Bedrock aquifers: In order to meet the
projected demand for drinking water over the next 20 years,
exploration of deep bedrock well locations has been a priority.
Numerous geologic studies and groundwater investigations have been
completed in order to identify locations that would be capable of
producing adequate volumes of drinking water. After preliminary
pumping tests and consideration of land purchase issues and site
constraints, the Town has identified two sites for development as
bedrock drinking water wells. These are the Andreas site and the
Dunn site.

The Andreas well site is located off Indian
Hill Street between Garden and Middle Streets. Extended pumping
tests have been completed on the single 6-inch diameter well on site
and indicate a safe yield of 145,000 gallons per day. In December
2002, the DEP awarded a New Source Approval, but MA Water Management
will not issue their permit until the Water Department intends to
put this well site into production – therefore the project is
currently on hold.

The Dunn well site is located at the
intersection of Chase and Middle Streets. A single 6-inch well
exists and preliminary pump testing indicates a safe yield of
187,000 gallons per day. Installation of an 8-inch well at this
site is predicted to yield closer to 200,000+ gallons per day,
though permitted safe yield may be lowered because of drawdown
effects on surrounding wetlands. Voters at Spring
2002 Town Meeting voted to purchase the entire 71-acre Dunn
Property. Contiguous to Pipestave Hill, the Dunn land will be used
for combined water, recreation, agriculture, and future municipal
use.

Current status of projects: As of
early 2008, the Water Department has postponed development of either
the Dunn or Andreas sites because of the high projected costs to
link these sites to the existing distribution system and to bring
three-phase electrical power to the sites. However, the Department
has identified several sites along the Merrimack River that were
previously unavailable and appear to contain promising
unconsolidated aquifer well sites. The Department will attempt to
test and develop these sites before considering development of the
bedrock sites.

Private wells in Town: In addition to
these public water supply wells, one third of the Town’s residents
have private drinking water wells. These are installed in both the
consolidated and unconsolidated aquifers, depending on site-specific
conditions.

Water
Resource Protection

Protection of the Town’s water resources is
afforded through Federal, State and Local regulations. The permits,
which are required for activities affecting water resources, trigger
the review by Town committees and boards, which are familiar with
these regulations.

Reservoir Protections: For the
reservoir system, land use restrictions are mandated by the State
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and are organized into
three zones, which are dependent on the distance from the
reservoir. They are designed to prevent contamination of the
drinking water supply directly by discharge to the reservoir and
indirectly by runoff or leaching from contaminated land. While
recreational use on the water is restricted, most recreational use
around the reservoirs – such as hiking and horseback riding –
is not. The City of Newburyport has enacted a Surface Water
Protection Bylaw, which further restricts land uses around the
reservoir system. Although not required by State regulations, West
Newbury is considering the adoption of a Surface Water Protection
Bylaw to help protect the reservoir system as a drinking water
source.

Groundwater Protections: Groundwater
drinking water wells in West Newbury are also protected by State DEP
regulations, as well Zoning Bylaw Section 10.0, Groundwater
Protection Overlay District Bylaw. The Water Department must
control a land area with a 400 ft radius around each bedrock public
drinking water well, and a 250 foot radius around a shallow well.
Land uses are restricted to those that will not impact the quality
of the groundwater as specified by the regulations. Passive
recreational uses such as hiking, cross country skiing, bicycling
and horseback riding are allowed within the protected area.

Inground Irrigation Bylaw: The town
passed an Inground Irrigation Bylaw in April of 2003. This bylaw
restricts the water source for inground irrigation systems for lawns
to private wells.

The Board of Water Commissioners continues efforts to expand
West Newbury’s water resources, and to conserve water in summer
months when the Town must purchase water at significant expense
from the City of Newburyport.

Artichoke Reservoir watershed: The
Artichoke Reservoir watershed covers about one third of the Town.

D. Vegetation

West Newbury contains a diverse mixture of
vegetation types, ranging from dense stands of hardwoods in the
upland areas and on hill slopes to scattered assemblages of grasses
and reeds in the low-lying areas and along stream courses. In
between is an assortment of mixed hardwood and softwood forests,
abandoned farms, and active farms. The active farms include open
land for hay, pasture, apple orchards, nursery plants, and
vegetables.

Forest Land

Characteristic native
tree species include white pine, eastern-red cedar, Atlantic
white-cedar, hemlock, white and red oaks, American beech, shagbark
hickory, black locust, black cherry and sugar maple on the
well-drained uplands; and red ("swamp") maple, various birches,
cottonwood, alder and green ash in wetter or lowland areas.
American elm and American chestnut saplings are still found in
scattered locations throughout the Town. Introduced species (i.e.,
buckthorn and Norway maple) are naturalized, but are undesirable
because they out-compete native species.

West Newbury has an
abundance of mature shade trees along almost all the public roads
and in our public spaces. These include grounds surrounding the Town
Offices, the Public Safety Complex, Cammett Park and the Training
Field in addition to the large tracts of protected land like those
at Millpond, and Riverbend.

Some families have
enrolled their properties in Chapter 61A for managed forestry lands,
requiring a planned program to improve the quantity and quality of a
continuous forest crop. Currently there are 11 parcels with a total
of 146 acres under this Chapter. This includes many of the towns
Christmas tree farms, but also other woodlots managed for firewood
and habitat.

The Town Forest is
managed as a part of the Mill Pond Conservation Area and is included
in the approved Management Plan for that Area.

As is common here in
New England, the wooly adelgid has infested some of the town’s
hemlock trees. Anthracnose affects many of the flowering dogwoods.
Beech stands are threatened by the fungus Nectria coccinea, a
blight which is carried by scale insects that weakens the thin bark
of beeches and ultimately the structure of the tree itself.

West Newbury is a
small town with a small budget. At this juncture, we have no
professionally trained forestry staff. The Department of Public
Works does attend to trees that are structurally unsound along the
town roadways, and in public spaces. Recently three ailing sugar
maples were removed from the Training Field, and two new young
Red Sunset Maples and one American Elm were planted on the historic green. Ten Red Sunset Maples
were also planted at Pipestave Hill to define a line between the
equestrian area and the new Highway Barn. Three pin oaks were
planted between the equestrian area and the soccer/ baseball field
at Pipestave during the recent expansion of playing fields in that
area. The Department of Public Works has been instrumental in
working with the Open Space Committee to remove large downed trees
which are obstructing trails on public land, such as at the River
Bend Conservation Area. West Newbury does not currently have a
Tree Committee or other such advocacy committee for trees.

The Scenic Roads
Bylaw was passed in 1999. This bylaw denotes all roads in West
Newbury other than State Route 113 as scenic roads. In the course
of road improvements, the removal of any tree greater than 10 inches
in diameter at 1 foot off the ground requires written permission of
the Planning Board after a required public hearing.

General Inventory

Common West Newbury plant communities include
upland forests (pine and hardwood), wooded swamps, shrub swamps,
fresh water marshes, tidal marshes, wet meadows and grasslands. A
list of common shrubs and herbaceous plants is provided in Table
4-4.

Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species

The Massachusetts Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries &
Wildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program’s BIOMAP
is based on verified natural community and rare species data that
correspond to actual locations on the ground. The BIOMAP of West
Newbury identifies significant “core habitat” and supporting
“natural landscape” acreage throughout the Town. In the future,
this BIOMAP will be posted on the Open Space website.

The Massachusetts Natural Heritage and
Endangered Species Program has identified several plant species
occurring in the Town which are state or federally classified as
rare, endangered or threatened. These are shown below in Table
4-5. These data are the most recently available from the
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Website, Section on
Natural Heritage, and date from 2008.

In addition, the Massachusetts Natural Heritage
and Endangered Species Program has identified a special natural
community within the Town, the "Gulf of Maine Freshwater Tidal
Marsh," within which many of the species of concern occur.

Non native, otherwise known as exotic or
invasive, species of plants have moved into West Newbury and much of
New England primarily from horticultural trade and practices.
Native insects can not or prefer not to eat alien species of
plants. These plants do not support local insect and bird species,
and compete vigorously in the landscape with native species which
do support the wide variety of native wildlife. There is a growing
understanding of the importance of native plants to the local
landscape and the habitat that is supportive of a rich variety of
insects, birds and other animals.

Much of the town which was previously in
agricultural use, either as pasture or under tillage, was kept clear
of brush and trees. When left fallow, these fields, or remnants of
them, even in the open space associated with developments, quickly
revert to woodland in the typical succession from brush to mature
trees. This process can take as little as ten years. However, the
success of the non-native bittersweet and other invasives has
disrupted this typical pattern throughout the town. Bittersweet has
the ability to strangle even mature trees, changing the nature of
succession, and to form a barrier impenetrable to humans.

Massachusetts Prohibited Plant List

The importation of the most of these plants listed below was
banned as of January 2006. By January 2009, propagation, sale,
trade, purchase, distribution and related activities of all of these
listed plants is banned.

An asterix (*) notes plants which are commonly found to be
invasive most of New England, including West Newbury. (From the
New England Wildflower Society Website- Invasive Plant Atlas)

Certain other plants, such as poison ivy, are
native and provide good habitat and food for birds, but are
nevertheless a nuisance to people who attempt to enjoy hiking in
areas of infestation. Poison ivy is rampant in West Newbury, and is
predicted to be even more so with climbing temperatures related to
global warming.

Attempts should be made to educate
landowners regarding the benefits of landscaping with native
species, and the value of eradicating invasive species where
they have been planted or taken hold. Control of poison ivy
and bittersweet along popular trails and public spaces will
be a challenge, but can be done in limited areas.

E. Fisheries and Wildlife

Inventory

West Newbury's abundant wildlife is a tribute
to the size and diversity of open spaces remaining within the Town.
The birds, fish and mammals within the community are characteristic
of those found throughout much of Essex County, and consist both of
migrant and resident populations. Some species are found in large
numbers throughout much of the Town; others are rare and are
confined to localized habitats.

The Town’s beaver population has increased
greatly since 1996, turning wetlands areas on Moulton Street,
Bachelor Street, Kelly Brook Lane, and Crane Neck Street into large
“beaver lakes,” where otter have been sighted.

The Town’s large deer population has
contributed to an increase in Lyme Disease in recent years. Rabies,
which had been on the decline, made a comeback in the raccoon
population in 2001. West Nile Disease, which most commonly affects
birds (especially crows and other raptors), but which can also be
found in horses and humans, has been found in West Newbury.

Moose and black bears are occasional visitors
to West Newbury. Recently, there was a confirmed sighting of
mountain lion in nearby Newburyport.

The state actively manages wildlife for hunting
in the Crane Pond Wildlife Management area, which lies partially
within the Town. The following tables list fish, reptiles,
amphibians, mammals and birds found in West Newbury.

Fish

Table 4-7: West Newbury
Fish

Atlantic
Salmon

M

Yellow
Catfish

M

Smallmouth Bass

P

Striped
Bass

M

Channel
Catfish

M

Sunfish
(various)

P

Bluefish

M

Yellow
Perch

P

Carp

M

American
Eel

MS

White
Perch

P

Brook
Trout

P and S

Bullhead

M

Pickerel

P

Brown
Trout

P and S

Hornpout

M

Largemouth Bass

P

Pike

P

Shad

M

Minnows

all

Crappie

P

Shortnosed Sturgeon

M

M = found in the Merrimack River, S
= found in streams, P = found in ponds

Atlantic salmon, striped bass, and shad are
anadromous species, spawning and hatching in freshwater, then
migrating to the sea to live out most of their adult life cycles.
The American eel is a catadromous species, and follows the reverse
strategy by which the young hatch at sea and then migrate into
freshwater. A very small population of shortnosed sturgeon lives in
the Merrimack River below the Rt. 125 bridge in Haverhill.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Table 4-8: West Newbury
Reptiles and Amphibians

Snakes

Snakes (cont.)

Salamanders

Frogs

Common
Garter

Milk

Northern
Dusky

Spring
Peeper

Fox

Eastern
Hognose

Blue-Spotted *

Gray
Treefrog

Ring-Necked

Four-Toed *

Pickerel

Red King

Turtles

Red-Backed

Green

Eastern
Ribbon

Box

Yellow-Spotted

Wood

Redbelly

Musk

Slimy

American
Toad

Northern
Water

Painted

Leopard

Black
Racer

Snapping

Newts

Bullfrog

Black

Spotted
*

Eastern

Brown

Wood *

Blanding’s

*
- classified as "Species of Special Concern" due to rarity.

The Spotted Turtle (Clemmys
guttata) is found in select shallow freshwater and brackish
wetlands. The Blue-Spotted and Yellow-Spotted salamanders inhabit
moist woods and wooded swamps and depend on vernal pools to complete
their reproductive cycle, as does the Wood frog. The Wood Turtle (
Glyptemys insculpta), last seen in 1965 is a species of
“Special Concern” and the Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea
blandingii), last seen in 2004, is threatened.

Table 4-10: Birds
Common to Eastern Massachusetts(italics = not sighted in W.N.)

Acadian
Flycatcher

Canada
Warbler

Golden-Crowned Warbler

Alder
Flycatcher

Canvasback

Golden Plover

American
Bittern

Cape May
Warbler

Grasshopper Sparrow

American
Black Duck

Carolina
Wren

Gray
Catbird

American
Coot

Cattle Egret

Gray-Cheeked Thrush

American
Crow

Cedar
Waxwing

Great-Crested Flycatcher

American
Goldfinch

Chestnut-sided Warbler

Greater
Black-Backed Gull

American
Kestrel

Chipping
Sparrow

Great
Blue Heron

American
Redstart

Chimney
Swift

Great
Cormorant

Amercian
Robin

Cliff
Swallow

Great
Egret

American
Tree Swallow

Common
Bobwhite

Greater
Scaup

American
Widgeon

Common
Flicker

Greater
Yellowlegs

American
Woodcock

Common
Goldeneye

Great
Horned Owl

Bald
Eagle

Common
Grackle

Green
Heron

Baltimore Oriole

Common
Loon

Hairy
Woodpecker

Bank
Swallow

Common
Merganser

Henslow's Sparrow

Barn
Owl

Common
Moorhen

Hermit
Thrush

Barred
Owl

Common
Night Hawk

Herring
Gull

Barrow's
Goldeneye

Common
Redpoll

Hoary
Redpoll

Bay-Breasted Warbler

Common
Snipe

Hooded
Marganser

Belted
Kingfisher

Common
Yellowthroat

Hooded Warbler

Blackburnian Warbler

Connecticut Warbler

Horned
Lark

Black-Bellied Plover

Coopers
Hawk

House
Finch

Black-Billed Cuckoo

Coot

House
Sparrow

Black-Capped Chickadee

Crow

House
Wren

Black
Crowned Night Heron

Dark-eyed Junco

Iceland
Gull

Blackpoll Warbler

Dickcissel

Indigo
Bunting

Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Double-Crested Cormorant

Kestrel

Black-Throated Green Warbler

Downy
Woodpecker

Killdeer

Black
and White Warbler

Dunlin

King
Rail

Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

Eastern
Bluebird

Lawrence's Warbler

Blue Jay

Eastern
Kingbird

Least
Bittern

Blue-Winged Teal

Eastern
Meadowlark

Least
Flycatcher

Blue-Winged Warbler

Eastern
Pewee

Least
Sandpiper

Bobolink

Eastern
Phoebe

Lesser
Scaup

Bohemian
Waxwing

European
Starling

Lesser
Yellowlegs

Brant

Evening
Grosbeak

Lincoln's Sparrow

Broad-Winged Hawk

Field
Sparrow

Little
Blue Heron

Brown
Creeper

Fox
Sparrow

Loggerhead Shrike

Brown-Headed Cowbird

Gadwall

Long-Eared Owl

Brown
Thrasher

Glaucous
Gull

Louisianna Waterthrush

Bufflehead

Glossy
Ibis

Mallard

Canada
Goose

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Marsh
Wren

Maryland
Yellowthroat

Red-Tailed Hawk

Veery

Merlin

Red
Winged Blackbird

Vesper Sparrow

Mourning
Dove

Redhead

Virginia
Rail

Mourning
Warbler

Ring-Billed Gull

Warbling
Vireo

Mute
Swan

Ring-Necked Duck

Water
Pipit

Nashville Warbler

Ring-Necked Pheasant

Western Sandpiper

Northern
Bobwhite

Rock
Dove

Whip-Poor-Will

Northern
Cardinal

Rose
Breasted Grosbeak

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Northern
Goshawk

Rough-Legged Hawk

White-Crowned Sparrow

Northern
Harrier

Rough-Winged Swallow

White-Eyed Vireo

Northern
Mockingbird

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

White-Rumped Sandpiper

Northern
Oriole

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

White-Throated Sparrow

Northern
Parula Warbler

Ruddy
Duck

White-Winged Crossbill

Northern
Shrike

Ruffed
Grouse

Wild
Turkey

Northern
Shoveler

Rufous-Sided Towhee

Willow
Flycatcher

Northern
Waterthrush

Rust
Blackbird

Wilson's
Warbler

Olive-sided Flycatcher

Savannah
Sparrow

Winter
Wren

Orange-Crowned Warbler

Saw-Whet
Owl

Wood
Duck

Orchard
Oriole

Scarlet
Tanager

Wood
Pewee

Osprey

Screech
Owl

Wood
Thrush

Ovenbird

Sharp-Shinned Hawk

Yellow-Bellied Flycatcher

Palm
Warbler

Sedge
Wren

Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker

Pectoral
Sandpiper

Semi-Palmated Sandpiper

Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

Peregrin
Falcon

Snow
Bunting

Yellow-Breasted Chat

Philadelphia Vireo

Snow
Goose

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Pied-Billed Grebe

Snowy
Egret

Yellow-Throated Warbler

Pileated
Woodpecker

Snowy
Owl

Yellow
Warbler

Pine
Grosbeak

Solitary
Sandpiper

Pine
Siskin

Solitary
Vireo

Pine
Warbler

Song
Sparrow

Prarie
Warbler

Sora

Prothonotary Warbler

Spotted
Sandpiper

Purple
Finch

Stilt
Sandpiper

Purple
Martin

Summer
Tanager

Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Swainson's Thrush

Red-Breasted Merganser

Swamp
Sparrow

Red-Breasted Nuthatch

Tennessee Warbler

Red
Crossbill

Tree
Swallow

Red-Eyed
Vireo

Tri-Colored Heron

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Tufted
Titmouse

Red-Shouldered Hawk

Upland
Sandpiper

Resident and migratory bird habitats

Many areas of the Town contain excellent
habitat for resident and migratory birds. Species commonly nesting
along the Merrimack River include the common yellowthroat, swamp
sparrow and marsh wren. Herons, egrets, American bitterns, mallard
ducks, black ducks, wood ducks and Canada geese frequent the marsh
grasses along the river.

Winter brings bald eagles to the Merrimack
River; these can be found along the stretch from the harbor to
Lawrence. Rough-legged hawk, red-tailed hawk and harriers frequent
the marshes along the river. Great cormorants and numerous gulls
appear upriver. Many ducks winter on the river including common and
red-breasted mergansers, common and Barrow's goldeneyes, ring-necked
ducks, canvasbacks, buffleheads and scaups. Canada geese are found
year round.

Merrimack River: Numerous passerine
birds migrate along the Merrimack River or use the edge as a
stopping point on northern or southern migrations. Common migrants
include warblers, vireos, thrushes, orioles, tanagers and
blackbirds.

Reservoirs: The Indian Hill
Reservoir is a stopping place for migrating ducks in spring and,
especially, fall. Large numbers of American widgeon, bufflehead,
northern shovelers, gadwall, ring-necked and ruddy ducks, greater
and lesser scaup, red-breasted mergansers, common mergansers,
brant, snow geese, and, of course, Canada geese often fill the
reservoir. Pied-billed grebes, redhead ducks and hooded mergansers
also sometimes appear. The area around the reservoir attracts
spring and fall migrants, and northern shrike and sharp-shinned
hawks in winter. Bluebirds have nested near the Cherry Hill
Nursery.

The Pikes Bridge Road/Artichoke Reservoir area
is another popular spot for migrant birds, with numerous warblers,
vireos, wrens, tanagers and cuckoos reported.

Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species

The following animal species (all classified by
the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program as
rare, threatened or endangered) have been found in West Newbury.

West Newbury is defined by its scenic open
vistas, wooded hilltops, farm lands and historic homes. The Town's
easily viewed, wide-open spaces coupled with its small-town charm
give the Town a special flavor that is unique among the North Shore
communities. Many of the Town's special scenic features are listed
below, and are illustrated on the Unique Features Map.

Scenic Landscapes

The Town contains many locally significant
scenic landscapes, vistas and roadways. A partial list of scenic
landscapes is included below.

Table 4-12: Partial
List of Scenic Landscapes

Road/Scene/Vista

Attributes/Comments

1

River
Road

views of
the Merrimack River as seen along the entire length of the
road, also of the Indian River from the unused portion of
the River Road

2

Rocks
Village Bridge

views of
the historic bridge from Church Street; views of the river
from the bridge

3

Merrill
Farm

views of
the river, fields and pastures

4

Long
Hill Farm

views of
the orchard and river

5

Emery
Lane

pastoral
and woodland views

6

Bridge
Street

view of
the river from base

7

Whetstone Street

views
across the river; open space along street (McGrath, Sullivan
properties)

These
include White Gate, Lovejoy, Tagney, Fusco, Elwell, and
several on Crane Neck Street

* Some of these lands are private property.
The scenic areas listed above, along with other
areas which contribute to the Town's character, are shown on the
Unique Features Map.

The Town must
continue to takes steps to preserve the most unique and scenic
environments for the enjoyment of all townspeople and as habitat for the
wide array of wildlife that still lives within our borders.

Since 1998, when the OSC hosted a “Conserving Family Lands”
workshop, the idea of placing land in conservation restriction has really taken hold.
Thanks to the generosity of conservation- minded landowners, and to the help and
cooperation of Essex County Greenbelt,
the Gowen, Nichols, Atherton, Berkenbush, Serheant, Kelly,
and Ordway properties have all been preserved in perpetuity through conservation
restrictions.

Other progress has been made, as well. In Spring 2000, the
Town passed a “Scenic Roads Bylaw,” designating all roads within the Town of West
Newbury, except Main Street, as scenic. In Fall 2001, the Town passed the Pipestave Hill
Conservation Restriction, saving 200 acres of the most scenic acreage in Town from further
development of any kind. And finally, the new “Green
Neighborhoods” zoning bylaw is designed to encourage the
protection of open space and viewsheds.

Major Characteristics or Unusual Geologic Features

West Newbury's major geologic/geographic
features are its drumlin hills and its location next to the
Merrimack River. West Newbury's drumlins are the first major hills
to be found moving inland along the Merrimack River. An interesting
geologic feature is the Clinton-Newbury fault line that extends into
Town from Groveland. The fault passes beneath the Elwell farm (on
Moulton Street), into the Scotland Road area of Byfield and then
runs north to Seabrook. Active earthquakes were felt in Newbury in
the 1700's, and several minor quakes have awakened townspeople in
the last few years.

Cultural, Archeological and Historic Areas

The Town's only designated historic area is the
Training Field on Main Street, which is surrounded by Revolutionary vintage homes.
The field was the site of training soldiers for the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Revolutionary
War, and was also the Civil War training site for the 28th
Massachusetts Regiment (the Irish Brigade). Also of historic
interest are the approximately eighty pre-revolutionary homes and
approximately ninety post-revolutionary colonial,Greek Revival and farm houses dating from post-revolution
through the 1800s scattered throughout the Town. There is a Quaker
burying ground off Turkey Hill Road, and a potter's field and three
other "old" burying grounds in Town. There are remnants of a
commercial wharf and ferry landing along the Merrimack River. An
old stone cellar on River Road dates to pre-colonial times and is
attributed by some to Nordic explorers.

Others areas of cultural importance include the
Town Office Building, Old Town Hall, the G.A.R. Memorial Library,
Cammet Park, the Mill Pond Recreation Area, the Hill House, the Fire
Station, Page School, the Pentucket Regional Schools, the John L.
Carr Post, the Rocks Village Bridge, the Curzon's Mill Bridge, St.
Ann Catholic Church, West Newbury Congregational Church, and the All
Saints Episcopal Church.

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern

West Newbury does not contain any State
recognized "Areas of Critical Environmental Concern" (ACEC) within
its borders. However, the Town does contain many significant
resource areas, including

The Town’s many wetland areas, the largest of which is
Ash Swamp

Large tracts in the southern end of Town identified as
BioMap Core Habitat (areas which represent the highest priority of
biodiversity conservation and protection in the State)

The West Newbury wellfield, and potential new well
sites

The Artichoke Reservoir system and watershed

The Mill Pond watershed

The Merrimack River, especially that section near the
mouth of the Indian River that is classified as a "Gulf of Maine
Tidal Marsh"

Beaver Brook, Indian River, Artichoke River and
smaller streams

Remaining farm lands, nurseries, orchards and hay
fields

Large tracts of woodlands (along the Merrimack River
and in the eastern section of Town)

Land surrounding the entire Indian Hill and Artichoke
reservoir system and its outflow, source of water for the City of
Newburyport and West Newbury.

G. Environmental Problems

Hazardous Waste Sites

There are no known hazardous waste sites in
West Newbury. However, Superfund sites exist in both neighboring
Groveland and Newburyport. In the late 1970's two of Groveland’s
municipal wells were found to be contaminated with trichloroethene
(TCE). The clean-up process on these sites has been completed.
The Newburyport site is at the northern end of Rolf's Lane along the
Merrimack River. This site was contaminated by PCBs, but following
a large cleanup effort now has a "remediated" site status.

Other notable pollution sources include the
Crestfoam Company of Newburyport, which has been listed as 9th on
the Top 10 Polluters List in the state. Also, the Seabrook Nuclear
Power Plant, within 10 miles of West Newbury, is a high-level toxic
waste site.

The OSRC's research shows that there have been
no major spills within West Newbury. Underground storage tanks have
been removed from the Page School and Brunault’s Auto Sales and
Service (previously a gas station).

Landfills

West Newbury has no landfills in current use.
Until 1985, the Town used a municipal landfill located in the
southern portion of the Town, at the intersection of Middle Street
and Georgetown Road. The landfill has since been closed and capped
and is being monitored in accordance with DEP requirements. After
closure, the landfill property was deeded to the Conservation
Commission to be preserved as open space. West Newbury currently
disposes of its trash at the MRI incinerator in North Andover.
There are currently no Town bylaws regulating the importation of
fill to Town. Such a bylaw, requiring all fill materials to be
certified as “clean” (e.g., not containing hazardous substances or
waste), should be enacted.

Erosion

The major erosion problem in West Newbury is
along the Merrimack River where it appears that the banking on River
Road is being eroded by increased boating activity. Without
remedial measures (such as plantings, gabions, or walls) River Road
may be adversely affected. The building of new subdivisions gives
rise to temporary erosion problems during construction.

Chronic Flooding

Flooding is a recurrent problem on a portion of
Ash Street which passes through Ash Swamp. Winter and spring
flooding has led to fairly frequent temporary closures of this
road. A 100-year flood would cause many more areas to be flooded,
notably certain portions of the Merrimack River shoreline, the
Indian River and the upper Beaver Brook watershed.

Sedimentation

Sedimentation of streams and ponds can result
from construction activities. West Newbury's only notable
sedimentation problem was at Mill Pond, which experienced decreased
depths and increased aquatic plant growth.. With State and local
funds, the Mill Pond Committee had the pond drained and dredged,
and it has now been returned to its original depth.
The Committee has also enacted a nutrient reduction management plan
for the Mill Pond watershed.

Development Impact

The population of West Newbury has grown
approximately 20% per decade since 1950. The population density per acre in the town in
1990 was 253, and in 2000 was 306. The current population (2006) is
4,286, giving a density figure of 317. The West Newbury
Comprehensive Plananticipates that the Town’s population and
housing units will nearly double by 2020, from a baseline of 1,325
houses and 3,794 people (February 2000). The population increase
has had and will continue to have a marked impact on the cost of
Town services, school overcrowding, and the Town's public water
supply. Road maintenance work can be used as an example of how
growth affects infrastructure costs: increased residential
development not only increases the costs for road maintenance,
repair and snow removal, but also strains existing storm drainage
systems (causing problem runoff and, potentially, nonpoint source
water pollution problem). Failing septic systems are also
potential sources of non-point ground and surface water pollution.
As development occurs within the more marginal lands (areas close to
wetlands, on slopes, or with poor soils) the chances of septic
systems working improperly rise, though the Board of Health rules
and regulations strive to prevent this. Increased development also
has an impact on the Town's water supply, since most new
subdivisions are required to have access to Town water. West
Newbury's current wells cannot meet its current needs, much less the
needs of future residential development, and new well sites have
been aggressively sought-out, tested, and purchased. However, due to
the lengthy state permitting process, the new sites will not be
available for the foreseeable future. (See Section 4, Water
Resources).

Ground and Surface Water Pollution

West Newbury has no known major problems with
nonpoint source pollution which are not currently being addressed.
However, as noted above, storm water and failing septic systems are
a potential sources of ground and surface waterpollution -
and both tend to increase as population density rises. West
Newbury's public water supply, Newburyport's public water supply,
Mill Pond, and West Newbury's extensive wetland areas could
conceivably be impacted by nonpoint source pollution if care is not
taken to protect these resources from the effects of too many people
living too close to them. The Merrimack River, once severely
polluted by industry and municipal sewage treatment plants upstream
of West Newbury, has been the subject of recent concerted clean-up
efforts and has improved greatly over the last twenty years.

Forestry Issues

Forests in West Newbury, like those all over
New England, are growing because of the succession of farmland to
forest, but are nevertheless threatened by fragmentation due to
development and declining health secondary to air pollution and
warming temperatures. Conservation agencies, and sensitive
landowners are working with municipal and state cooperation to
preserve contiguous parcels to combat the fragmentation that affects
our forests as habitat.

Invasive species such as autumn olive, norway
maple, winged euonymous, black locust and common buckthorn are
crowding native species especially in areas of natural succession
from field to forest. (See previous section on invasive species)

Sugar maples are more sensitive to drought,
road salt, soil compaction and pollution. Many roadside sugar
maples show evidence of crown die back, likely due to road salt, but
forest pathologists also believe acid precipitation and other
pollutants are involved as well. Climate change related warmer
temperatures are forecasted in the long run to alter the ability of
much loved trees such as the sugar maple to remain healthy in this
area.

Other trees are threatened as well. The
butternut is damaged by a canker, caused by a fungus, though the
origins of this blight is unknown. White ash is in decline from a
mycoplasma like organism. Red oaks have been seen to suffer a crown
die back in some areas.

Global warming and higher local temperatures
are forecasted to impede germination of balsam fir, paper birch,
yellow birch. Because it will take a long time for newer species
which do better in warmer temperatures to migrate north, we are
likely to suffer a decline in species and tree diversity.

Environmental Equity Issues

West Newbury does not include any
environmental justice populations as of the 2000 census. Our public
open spaces are widely scattered throughout town as can be seen by
our Open Space Inventory map.

In this section we inventory our open space.
Open space is broadly defined as unoccupied parcels that have or
could have utility for recreational, water resource, natural
wildlife, community or scenic value. Our inventory finds 3,548
acres of open space in town.

Forty percent or 1,498 acres are unprotected,
that is, they could be readily changed into other uses, largely
residential. This inventory includes 538 acres explicitly taxed
under MGL chapter 61. These lands enjoy a low tax rate so long as
they continue to be used for forestry or agricultural use but the
use can be readily changed to other uses. The town has first right
of refusal to purchase these lands at market value.

Sixty percent of the open space, 2,050 acres,
is protected. Protection is afforded by specific deed provision or
by its use in certain unchangeable purposes. None of these lands
can have their use changed without very specific and significant
acts, generally involving the Legislature.

The protected lands by category of protection
are:

By perpetual deed

Conservation Commission
Land 255 acres

Privately owned
CR 97
acres

Town owned, ECGA CR
(Mill Pond) 200
acres

Town owned,
other 48
acres

By Ownership of Essex County
Greenbelt

Lands owned for
reservations 236
acres

By Perpetual Agricultural
Protection Restriction

Rights purchased by
town 515
acres

By Ownership for Specific Use

Massachusetts Fish &
Game 435
acres

US Fish &
Game 7
acres

Newburyport Water
Reservoir 200
acres

Established Town Well
Sites 47
acres

Cemeteries 10
acres

Total including
reservoir 2,050 acres

Total excluding
reservoir 1,850 acres

The 2,050 acres of protected open space account
for 21% of the town’s 9,443 acres of area.

The spatial distribution of the open space is
shown on the map immediately following. As the legend there
indicates, the protected lands are shown in shades of green and
blue, and are further separated by category.

The yellow orange and brown shaded parcels are
open space but they are not protected. Notable are the brown
because they are under Chapter 61, parcels which may be available
for purchase on short notice.

The
gray, pink and white shaded parcels are not open space. The map is
intended to be a comprehensive depiction of all land uses, including
the non open space parcels.

In 2000, at the request of the Board of
Selectman, the OSC created a “Priority Parcel List,” or “watch
list,” of lands that, for a number of reasons, are of special
conservation or recreation interest. (Please see Appendix C for the
current priority parcel list, and the criteria for inclusion on the
list.)

The priority parcel list was created over the
course of several public meetings, with input from a wide variety of
townspeople, including real estate agents; farmers; Conservation
Commission, Water Department, and Parks & Recreation members; and
others with interest in land preservation issues. The list has been
updated yearly by the Open Space Committee to reflect changes to the
status of a parcel. Recently, several parcels have been removed
from the list because they have now been permanently protected
through conservation restrictions or lost to development.

The properties in the Priority Parcels List are
a generally a subset of the unprotected lands shown above. They are
in private or institutional ownership. At the time of printing
(June 2009) the list contained 1,320 acres.

Definition of passive recreation

As we analyzed specific parcels of land, we noticed that a large
number of them offer a wide range of passive recreation
opportunities. For the purposes of this section, passive recreation
refers to the following activities:

Hiking and bicycling

Horseback riding

Cross country skiing, and

Nature observation

How this Inventory is organized

West Newbury has a gently rolling terrain
interspersed by a series of elongated hills. These hills provide a
logical starting point for organizing the town into geographical
areas for the purposes of this inventory. A few areas are not
defined by a hill, but by another resource, such as a reservoir, or
by the Town center.

The areas are listed below in the order in
which they are presented in this section.

Pipestave Hill

Lower Artichoke

Upper Artichoke

Cherry Hill

Indian Hill

Illsley Hill and Kimball Hill

Crane Neck Hill

Brake Hill

Long Hill/River Road

Elwell Square

Civic Center

Within the Private and Public/Non-profit lands,
parcels are grouped within these geographical regions. Out of
respect for landowner’s privacy, unprotected private parcels are
listed by parcel size and not by landowner’s names.

Note:
Lands identified as “Chapter 61”, which is a tax reduction program
for agricultural and recreational lands, are not permanently
protected. Chapter 61 only allows the Town the right of first
refusal if the land is to be sold or to come out of agricultural
use.

Description of geographical areas

Area

Description

Pipestave Hill

Pipestave Hill is the first hill one
encounters entering West Newbury from the East on Route
113. There is a large area of Town-owned land clustered
here, stretching all the way from the Merrimack River,
across the top of Pipestave Hill, and on to Archelaus Hill.
Significant Town-owned parcels include the Riverbend
Conservation Area, the hill top site of the Dr. John C. Page
Elementary School, Mill Pond/Pipestave Hill Recreation Area,
and the newly acquired Dunn Parcel. This area forms the
riverside end of a proposed cross-town trail and greenway.
It is bounded on the west by the Indian River, and includes
the scenic Mill Pond.

Lower Artichoke Reservoir

This northeast section of Town is
bounded on the north by the Merrimack River and on the east
by the Artichoke River and the Lower Artichoke Reservoir.
This is the major entranceway to West Newbury when traveling
from the east on Rte. 113 from Newburyport and I-95. There
are important defining views along the roadway here, on land
owned by the Society of St. John the Evangelist. A public
roadway, across the private Society land, connects via the
historic Curzon’s Mill Bridge to Maudslay State Park in
Newburyport. Water resources are important here, including
the Town’s only water well field, and frontage along the
Lower Artichoke Reservoir.

Upper Artichoke Reservoir

The
Upper Artichoke Reservoir is a scenic surface water resource
that sits between West Newbury and the City of Newburyport
along the Town’s eastern border. Middle Street and Turkey
Hill Street continue into West Newbury from Newburyport in
this area of town. The area is mostly residential with some
significant agricultural lands. There are two very scenic
bridges, where townspeople often fish and bird. In 2003 the
Ordway family worked with Greenbelt to permanently protect
55 acres with a marked trail, now known as the Ordway
Reservation.

Area

Description

Cherry Hill

Cherry Hill is the former site of the
historic Cherry Hill Nursery, founded in 1832 by the Thurlow
Family. The Nursery provided ornamental trees and shrubs,
such as Norway spruce, laurels, lilacs, and rhododendron.
The Nursery also cultivated and hybridized peonies, which
were famous throughout the world. The Thurlow family
recently closed the Nursery, and began to sell off a number
of the Nursery lands, including this central site, which
overlooks the Indian Hill Reservoir. The view from the
corner of Cherry Hill and Bachelor Streets is one that
defines West Newbury. In the fall of 2002, the Town voted to
purchase two subdivided lots and to accept two gifted lots,
for a total of eight acres, dedicated to passive recreation
and viewshed protection. Several other parcels in this
neighborhood are possible routes for a cross-town trail.
Obtaining appropriate easements or other rights of way in
this area will be important for this goal.

Indian Hill

Indian Hill lies just north of the
Cherry Hill Reservoir. It is one of the few remaining
undeveloped hilltops in West Newbury. There are several
large lots in this area of significant preservation
interest. One family farm abuts the Reservoir and contains
the outflow brook which courses from this reservoir to the
Artichoke Reservoir system. This piece has important water
protection value. Recently, 41 acres of the Indian Hill
Farm, including the hill top, have been permanently
protected by a joint Town/Greenbelt preservation project
which was supported by a state grant. These lands include
important trails and habitats which connect to other town
trail and natural habitat areas.

Illsley Hill and Kimball Hill

This area of town, considered “out
back” by some, has some large hilltop parcels, significant
roadside agricultural fields, pastural views, Christmas tree
farms, and a network of informal trails. Beaver Brook runs
just south of the area.

Crane Neck Hill/Ash Swamp

This area lies in the southern tip of
the Town and features a large contiguous area of protected
lands. There is the 184-acre Brown vegetable farm, which is
protected by an Agricultural Preservation Restriction, and
the adjacent Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area, which
comprises more than 435 acres, including Crane Pond. Some
would argue that these are the lesser-known gems of West
Newbury. Much of the Crane Pond Wildlife Management Area
has significant beaver activity, rendering large areas
impassable for passive recreation except in deep winter.

Brake Hill/West End

The area west of West Newbury’s Town
center is named for Brake Hill, the Town’s highest
elevation, where one of the West Newbury’s water towers
sits. Home to the Pentucket Regional High School and Middle
School, this is the Town’s western town line, bordering
Groveland. The School parcels lie along the Merrimack
River, offering possible public access to the river edge.

Long Hill/River Road

Arguably the most scenic road in West
Newbury, River Road wends its way alongside the Merrimac
River, offering views of Merrimac, Merrimacport, and
Amesbury on the other side. Teeming with bird life, eagles
have made frequent appearances on the river in recent years.
Long Hill Orchard is one of the largest orchards in New
England.

Area

Description

Ellwell Square Area to Rocks Village Bridge

Named for the late Albert E. Elwell,
venerable West Newbury native and former representative to
the Massachusetts House of Representatives, Elwell Square
comprises West Newbury’s busy Town Center. Fanning out from
this small center are Whetstone Street, Maple Street, and
Church Street. Two of West Newbury’s three churches occupy
the corner lots at the top of Church Street, which leads
down to the Merrimac River and the Rocks Village Bridge. An
important 35 acre parcel which abuts the town center and
stretches to the Merrimack River is currently on the
market. The Town is investigating the options for this
parcel.

Civic Center

In West Newbury’s thriving civic
center, townspeople congregate at Cammett Park to cheer on
Little Leaguers and soccer players in the "sports” civic
center of Town. The Bandstand brings families out during
summer evenings for a popular concert series. Townspeople
come together to enjoy seasonal celebrations at the Training
Field, where the Town's Historic District, its well-used
library, and Old Town Hall form West Newbury's "historic”
civic center.

Index map to identifying location of parcels listed in Inventory of
Lands in Section 5

Map found on page 68 of
the 2009 OS&R Plan

B.
Inventory of Lands

Private Parcels

Parcel

Mgmt.

Current Use

Recreation Potential

Public Access

Zoning

Protected?

Pipestave Hill

25 acres

N/A

·Private trails

·wetlands

Trails

No

Res. B

No

19 acres

N/A

Hayfields

·Trails

·Athletic fields

·Greenway

No

Res. C

No

Merrimack Island

16 acres

N/A

Natural
state with some hunting

Passive
open space

No

Res. B

No

8+ acres

Con.
Comm

Natural
state

Passive
open space

Via
canoe

Res. B

In
perpetuity via CR

Chase Street

Cemetery

~ 2
acres

Rural
Cemetery Association

Cemetery

(Vacancy
for 60 years)

·Passive
recreation

·History field
trips

Yes

Res. B

Yes

Lower Artichoke Reservoir

Riverside

28 acres

N/A

·Residential house lot

·Woodland

·Contiguous with large Society parcel

·Merrimack River access

·Passive
recreation

·Fishing

·Canoeing

No

Res. B

No

Parson’s
Woods

37 acres

Parson’s
Woods property owners

Passive
open space

Passive
recreation

Limited

Res. A,
C

In
perpetuity via deed restriction

Upper Artichoke

157
acres

N/A

Agriculture – dairy farm

Passive
recreation

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

Cherry Hill/Reservoir

48 acres

N/A

Residential

Wooded
upland

·Trails

·greenway

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

20.6 acres

N/A

Residential

Meadow,
trails

·Trail

·greenway

No

Res. A

No

43.0 acres

N/A

·Residence

·Woodland

·Hilltop

·contiguous
woodland

·Trails

·passive
recreation

No

Res. A,
B

No.

Bachelor Street
Cemetery

~ 2 acres

Walnut
Hill Cemetery Association

(Rick
Thurlow)

Cemetery

(Vacancy
for 100

years)

Passive recreation

History classes

Yes

Res. B

No.

Indian Hill

35.0 acres

N/A

Farm

Residence

fallow fields

river corridor

Mostly
important for water protection, passive recreation

No

Res. A

Public
Surface Water Supply Protection Area

Zone A

2 parcels

totaling

42 acres

ECGA

Meadows

hayed fields

scrub

wet lands

Roadside
views, passive recreation

No

Res. A

Conservation restriction held by ECGA

Illsley Hill and Kimball Hill

64.5 acres

N/A

Christmas tree farm, very scenic roadside view

Passive recreation

Possible school and athletic
field site

No

Res. B

Chapter
61

38.0 acres

N/A

Hill top
woodlands

trails

No

Res. A

No

20
acres, multiple parcels

N/A

Hay fields

Pasture

roadside views

hillside views

Trails

passive recreation

No

Res. B

4
parcels in 61

totaling
43.2

acres

36.0 acres

N/A

Christmas tree farm

long views

Trails

passive recreation

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

43 acres

ECGA

Roadside hay fields

meadows

Passive
recreation

No

Res. A,
B

Conservation Restriction to ECGA

Crane Neck Hill/ Ash Swamp

184 acres

Annfield
Vegetable Farm

Vegetable farm and farmstand,

horse pasture

residence

Views

No

Res. A

Yes.
APR

70.0 acres

N/A

Residence and farm

very lovely roadside views

some wetland

Trails

passive recreation

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

16 acres

N/A

Nursery

Farm

residence

Athletic fields

passive recreation

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

28 acres

N/A

·Christmas tree
farm

·Hillside and roadside views

Trails

passive recreation

No

Res. A

Chapter
61

Brake Hill/West End

Chestnut
Hill

12.7 acres

N/A

Former farm

River
access

Hiking

Birdwatching

No

Res. B

CR held
by Town

3.6 acres

N/A

Private residence

Adjacent to high school
playing fields

No

Res. B

No

19 acres

Knapp’s
Greenhouse

Private residences

Greenhouses

fields

Viewshed

Over-55 housing

No

Res. C

Chapter
61

12 acres

N/A

Private residence

former farm

Viewshed, with access to a Town-owned 117-acre protected
parcel.

No

Res. C

No

Long Hill/River Road

Kimball
Farm

144
acres.

N/A

Farm
with fields

Viewshed
from Bridge Street

No

Res. C

APR

80
acres.

N/A

Natural
state, wooded. Some meadows

Passive
recreation, trails with frontage on Main Street, Coffin
Street, and Merrimack River

No

Res. B

No

63
acres.

N/A

Sheep
farm

View
shed, river frontage

No

Res. B

Chapter
61

187
acres.

N/A

Residence

apple orchard

farm stand

Passive
recreation

No

Res. B

APR

Bridge
Street Cemetery

~ 2 acre

Trustees
of Bridge Street Cemetery

(Rick
Marchand)

Cemetery

(Vacancy
for 15 to 20 years)

Passive recreation

History trips.

Yes

Res. C

No

Elwell Square to Rocks Village Bridge

9 acres

ECGA

Private residence

hillside fields

Passive recreation

viewshed

No

Res. C

Yes. CR

ECGA

3
parcels =

3 acres

N/A

Residences

Businesses

open land

Town parking

sewage treatment plant

No

Res. C

No.

37 acres

N/A

Open
fields

Viewshed.

Possible
mixed use

River
access

No

Res. C

No.

9.0

N/A

Open
fields

Passive recreation

Viewshed

No

Res. C

No.

14.8
acres

N/A

Residence

Farming

farm stand

Passive/active recreation

possible over-55 housing

No

Res. C

Chapter
61

13.0
acres

Institutional/

private

Residence/Rectory

Trails
linking Maple Street with Civic Center

No

Res. C

No.

Pleasant
Street Cemetery

~ 2
acres

Merrimack Cemetery Board of Trustees

(Rick
Davies)

Cemetery

(Vacancy
for 10-15 years)

Passive recreation

History field trips

Yes,
with ADA access

Res. C

No

Civic Center

22 acres

Private

Open
field with pond and wetlands

·Adjacent to
Cammet Park

·passive
recreation

·Town park,
and/or

·over-55
housing.

No

Res. C

No
(Proposed development site)

3.3
acres

Private.

Residence

Contiguous to open field
above

No

Res. C

No

12 acres

Private

Residence

Contiguous to acreage above

No

Res. C

No

Public and Nonprofit Parcels

Ownership/

Parcel

Mgmt

Current Use

Condition

Recreation Potential

Public Access

Type of Grant

Zoning

Protected?

Pipestave Hill

Town/

Mill Pond
Recreation Area

222
acres, incl. 9 acres of Town Forest

·MPC

·BOS

·ECGA

·Passive
recreation

·boating

·soccer

·baseball

·snowmobiling

·Municipal area:
highway barn, recycling

Well
maintained

Used to
potential

·Yes

·ADA access to
new athletic fields

N/A

Res. B, C

·200 acres
protected in perpetuity via CR (ECGA)

·22 acres
unprotected for municipal use

Town/

Dunn
property

71 acres

BOS

·Agricultural

·Trails

Well
managed and maintained

·Passive
recreation

·Athletic fields

·Potential school
site

·water well field
site

·Yes

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. C

No

Town/

Dr. John C. Page School

131 acres

·BOS

·PRSD

·Playgrounds

·Athletic fields

·Woods, trails

·Agricultural
pastures

·Passive
recreation

·Highway Dept.

·Town–owned
apartment

·Park & Rec
Buildings

Well managed and maintained

Amphitheatre

·Yes, incl.
parking

·ADA access to
school, apartment building

N/A

Res. B, C

No

Town/

Riverbend Conservation Area

68.3 acres

Con

Com

·Passive
recreation

·Fishing

·Canoeing

Improve trails to provide year round access

Used to
potential

·Parking at Page
school

·No ADA access

DCS self
help grant

Res.
B

·Self-Help
Program project agreement

·Article 97 of MA
Constitution

Town/ Well field

6 acres

WD

Water
wellfield

Well managed

N/A –
Restricted access

No

N/A

Res.
A

·MA Drinking
Water Regulations

·W. N.
Groundwater Protection Bylaw

Lower Artichoke Reservoir

St.
John’s the Evangelist/
Episcopal church

131 acres

Episcopal
church

·Religious
retreat

·Agricultural
fields

·Woodlands

N/A

·River access

·Passive
recreation

·Fishing

·Canoeing

·Road open to
public, land is not

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. B

No

Upper Artichoke Reservoir

ECGA/
Ordway parcel

70 acres

ECGA

Passive
recreation

Natural
state

Passive
recreation

Yes

N/A

Res. A

Protected
in perpetuity via CR

Town/
Upper Artichoke shores

24 acres

Con Comm.

Passive
recreation

Natural
state

·Passive
recreation

·Fishing

Via 50’ footpath

3-car lot on Middle St

No ADA access

Self-Help
Grant

Res. A

·Deeded for
conservation purposes

·Article 97 of MA
constitution

ECGA/
Pike’s Bridge Road

49 acres

ECGA

Passive
recreation

N/A

Passive
recreation

·Via footpath

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

Protected
in perpetuity

Town/

Quaker
Cemetery

~ 2 acres

BOS

Cemetery

N/A

·Passive
recreation

·Abuts Upper
Artichoke Reservoir

Yes

N/A

Res. A

No

Town/

3 misc.
parcels near Rte. 95

10 acres

BOS

Open
scrub

Natural
scrub state

Passive
recreation

None

(land-locked)

N/A

Res. A

No

Cherry Hill

Town

6 acres

WD

Open meadow,

Possible well site

Good

Passive
recreation

No

N/A

Res. A, B

Well site
radius

Town/ Cherry
Hill

8.8 acres

BOS

Open meadow,

passive recreation

important viewshed

Good

Passive
recreation only

·Yes

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

·Town meeting
vote

·Land Bond
requirement

Nbpt. /

Water Dept.

200 acres

Nbpt.
Water Dept.

·Watershed
protection

·passive
recreation

·views

Good

Passive
recreation only

·Yes

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

·Wetlands
Protection Act

·MA Drinking
Water Regulations

·Public Surface
Water Supply Protection Area (Zone A)

·Surface Water
bylaw

ECGA

18 acres

ECGA

woodland

Wooded
upland, some wetland

Passive
recreation trail

·Yes

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

Yes

Indian Hill

ECGA

33 acres

ECGA

§Meadows

§Wooded uplands

§Historic stone
walls

Natural
state, some trails

Yes

Yes

No ADA access

State

Town

6 acres

Con Com

Wetlands,
scrub

Natural
state

Passive
recreation

Limited

No ADA access

N/A

Res. B

Deeded
for conservation purposes

Illsley and Kimball Hills

Ownership
uncertain

US Fish
and Wildlife

6.5 acres

US F&W

·Landlocked and
very wet

·brook corridor

·overhead power
lines

N/A

·Fishing

·passive
recreation

·Yes, via other
F&W parcels

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

Yes

Town/

Off
Moulton and Ash

9 acres

Town

·Passive
recreation

·Wooded, much
ledge

·extension of
Paddy Rock trail

Natural
state

·Trail

·important link

·passive
recreation

Yes

N/A

Res. A

No

Town/

10 acres

Town

Limited,
very wet

Head-waters of Beaver Brook

Passive
recreation

Limited
due to wetlands

N/A

Res. B

No

Crane Neck Hill and Ash Swamp

Town /

28 acres

Con Com

·Adjacent to
Crane Pond WMA

·Passive
recreation

·Wildlife
observation

·Equine and
hiking trails

·Natural state

·Mostly forest
among rock out-cropping

·Some wet areas

·Passive
recreation.

·Trail links Ash
Street with Crane Pond WMA

·Yes.

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

Deeded
for conservation purposes

MA Div of
Fisheries and Wildlife/

435 acres

MDFW

·Wildlife
observation

·Hunting

·passive
recreation

·snowmobiling

·Wooded uplands,
wetlands and grasslands.

·Some dumping

·beaver flooding

·damage from
vehicle use in wet season

·Passive
recreation

·Hunting

·snowmobiling

·Yes, parking
available

·No ADA access

N/A

Res. A

Yes.

Brake Hill/West End

Town/

Brake
Hill-Craven Property

117 acres

BOS

Water
tower access road; trails; contiguous to Groveland Town
Forest

Well
maintained. Natural state with good trails and road access
to water tower.

Passive
recreation,

active
recreation

(athletic
fields)

Limited.
No ADA access.

N/A

Res. A

No

Town/

Hilltop
Circle/Captain Pierce Drive

9 parcels
totaling

121 acres

Con Com

Informal
paths. Perennial running brook feeding Beaver Brook.

Natural
state. One 13-acre parcel includes the old Town dump, now
capped.

Passive
recreation

101 acres
contiguous to Craven (above) and its trail system.

Limited.
No ADA access.

N/A

Res. A

Yes.
Deeded for conservation purposes

Town/

Other

10 acres

BOS

Landlocked.

Passive
recreation

Natural
state

Passive
recreation

Easement

N/A

Res. A

No

PRSD/

31 acres

PRSD

School
buildings, indoor/outdoor recreation facilities

Well
maintained

Active
recreation, river access.

Yes.

N/A

Res. B, C

No

Town/

River-meadow Conservation Land

3 parcels
totaling

8 acres

Con

Com

Passive
recreation

Natural
state.

·River access

·River view

·Trail linkages

·Passive
recreation

·Buffer

Yes,
along River-meadow Drive and Place

N/A

Res. C

Deeded to
ConCom for conservation purposes.

Long Hill Orchard/River Road

There are no Public/Non-Profit
parcels of land in this section of Town

Elwell Square

Town/
Mullen

34.5
acres

BOS

Wooded
interior parcel

Natural
state, potential housing development site

§Passive
recreation

§Trails

§Possible mixed
use

§housing

No

N/A

Res. C

No

ECGA/

Off Mechanic
Street

24 acres

ECGA

Mostly
wooded and wet

Natural
state

Passive
recreation

Yes, off
Mechanic St. and George-town Rd.

N/A

Res. B, C

Land
preservation trust

Town/

Ferry
Lane Park

¼ acres

P&R

WNGC

Grassy open space with picnic
tables

views of Merrimac River and
Rocks Village Bridge

Well
maintained

Additional picnic facilities possible

Yes

N/A

Res. C

Designated Park,

Article
97,

MA
Constitution

State/

Boat Ramp

.49 acres

MA DEM

Boat ramp
provides Town’s only public river access, and the bank is a
popular fishing spot

Boat ramp
in poor condition

Used to
full potential

·Limited roadside
parking

·No ADA access.

N/A

Res. C

Civic Center

Town/

Cammet
Park

Action Cove

23 acres

P&R

Active recreation: baseball,
soccer

playground

“snack hut”

Well
maintained

Used to
its maximum potential

Yes

N/A

Res. C

Yes.

Designated

Park.

Protected
by Article 97,

MA
Constitution

Town/

Training
Field

1.5 acres

P&R

WNGC

War memorials

Destination of annual Memorial
Day Parade

Town Christmas tree

Well
maintained

Possible
site for additional outdoor activities

Yes

N/A

Res. C

Historic
District (Town-owned since 1700s. Began as training field
for soldiers.)

C. Open
Space Equity

The
town has no concentration of EJ population. Access to open space
and recreation is widely distributed, with no resident more than a
mile from at least one resource. Our Action Plan in Section 9
improves the distribution of quality recreation assets, particularly
trails and small scale river access. The plan also advocates active
recreation improvements at existing school facilities.

The following pages describe the ways in which
the Open Space Committee solicited community input, including:

Summary of past efforts

Description of the community survey

Survey distribution and tabulation

Survey response demographics

Summary of Past Efforts

This Plan is a revision of the past plans and
so contains many of the same goals. Since the 2003 Plan certain
goals have been met and further progress has occurred therefore our
needs and goals have been adjusted and refined to reflect that
progress. In other areas our needs and goals remain much unchanged
and are reiterated here as ongoing work.

Description of the community survey

The community survey was again drafted by the
Open Space Committee with input from the Park and Recreation
Department and was mailed to every household in West Newbury. For
details of this process, please see section 2B. ( For a sample of
the survey, please see Appendix B.) The survey solicited input in
the following categories:

Town Priorities

Preservation of Open Space

Recreation

Growth of the Town

Community Preservation

Demographic data

In addition to multiple-choice answers, the
survey enabled residents to include handwritten, narrative comments
in response to many of the questions.

Survey distribution and tabulation

The survey was distributed by bulk mailing to
every household in West Newbury. The completed surveys were returned
either through the U.S. mail, or through collection boxes at the
1910 Building, the Library, and the West Newbury Food Mart. Upon
receipt of the completed surveys, Open Space member Mike Mokrzycki
entered the data into his computer program and tabulated the
numerical portions. The narrative responses were compiled by Mike
and summarized by members of the Open Space Committee.

Survey response demographics

We received 334 responses to the survey, which
represents 20% of the 1650 surveys mailed. The people who responded
are represented by the following groups:

Years lived in Town

Less than 1 year

4%

1-5 years

14%

6-10 years

17%

11-20 years

27%

More than 20 years

39%

Age Group

18-34

6%

35-49

35%

50-64

38%

65+

17%

Omit

3%

Gender

Male

38%

Female

58%

Omit

4%

These numbers show that a diverse demographics of people
responded. Based on that, we believe that the information gathered from the survey is
statistically significant and therefore provides us with meaningful data. The thoughts and
opinions gathered from, the survey served as the basis for the
committee’s determination of the community vision and overall
goals.

B. Open
Space and Recreation Goals

Basis for defining goals

These goals were developed collaboratively by the Open Space
Committee, Town board and committee members, and townspeople. This
collaborative effort is just one example of the community spirit
which has allowed West Newbury to accomplish so many of the open
space goals defined in the 1996 Open Space Plan, and which, in part,
makes West Newbury such a special place to live.

Iterative nature of the goals

The goals are based on the Town’s current
needs and will be used to help us implement the action items defined
in the remainder of the Plan. As the Town’s needs change, these
community goals (and related parts of the Plan) will be reviewed and
modified to reflect and address these changes.

Relevant data from the Community Survey

The following data was gathered from the
Community Survey and served as the foundation for the Community
Goals defined below.

1.50 percent or more of the respondents cited the following as town
priorities in descending order:

Good schools

Rural character

Environmental preservation

Working farms

Wildlife corridors

Scenic roadside views

Trails for hiking and other purposes

New well fields/water resources

2.Rural Character- Throughout the entire survey, large numbers of
respondents referenced their appreciation of West Newbury’s rural
character, its lovely roadside views, small town charm and
agricultural heritage. Many respondents value ongoing work to
preserve these characteristics.

3.Open Space- West Newbury residents clearly place a high value on
open space. The preservation of land and the spending of Community
Preservation Act (CPA) funds to that end were rated extremely high.

4.Recreation Priorities- Respondents identified a continuing need for
the expansion of passive recreation opportunities. Specifically
identified was the importance of the trail system and its further
expansion. Expanding youth programs was also identified as a
priority. The Park and Recreation Department has identified a need
for a Community Activity/Wellness Center which would address the
needs of all ages.

Goals

West Newbury’s Open Space and Recreation Goals continue to
be:

1. Preserve the town’s charm, rural character, and sense of
community

2. Protect and manage key natural resource areas

3. Provide passive and active recreational activities for
Townspeople of all ages

As a result of information gathered from the
2008 Open Space and Recreation Survey (OS&R Survey), discussions
with Town boards and officials, and public meetings, the following
were identified as resources the Town must take steps to preserve
and protect:

Preserve and protect scenic resources and unique
environments, including open space, views from roadsides and
hilltops, meadows and farmlands

Protect wildlife habitats and corridors

Protect wetlands

Protect water supplies

Protect surface waters

An analysis of the protection needs for each
resource is provided in the following pages.

Preserve and protect scenic resources and
unique environments

Issue: Seventy-six
per cent of OS&R Survey respondents cited West Newbury’s rural
character as very important to them while a significant majority
cited the Town’s natural beauty, and open spaces as the reasons they
most enjoy living in West Newbury. These percentages represent an
increase in the importance of rural character, natural beauty, and
open spaces as reported in the previous 2002 OS&R Survey.

Additionally, 55% of
respondents selected open space as the top priority for Community
Preservation Act (CPA) spending.

A notable number of
respondents also cited too much development and excessive traffic as
forces eroding key elements which comprise rural character: the
landscape, the old and diverse housing stock, the farms, fields,
meadows, and roadside views.

The priority West Newbury residents place on open space reflects
a national sentiment which highly values open space. In the
November 2008 election, voters across the country approved 62 of
87 referendums to acquire or protect open space, allocating $7.3
billion in new spending for parks and open-space preservation.
(New York Times, November 19, 2008)

Summary of Needs:

Build awareness of preservation mechanisms for land

Outreach to landowners, including pamphlets on options
for land preservation

Articles or a series of articles in the
Newburyport
Daily News and West Newbury News, and

Open Space-related Forums or events

Enforce the Town’s Scenic Roads Bylaw, as well as the
State Statute known as the Shade Tree Act.

Enact local bylaws designed to preserve hilltop
vistas.

Consider enlarging the Historic District and/or
establishing new Historic Districts such as the Training Field and
parts of Main Street, as appropriate.

Encourage residential development to be sensitive to
roadside views, and promote “interior” and “green neighborhood”
developments in order to preserve farmlands, meadows, and other
unique environments not otherwise protected by state or local
regulations.

Protect wildlife habitats and corridors

Issue:
Although prime wildlife habitat areas and corridors exist in the
Town, many are on private lands and are not protected by Town or
state regulations. Some areas are covered by the state’s Wetlands
Protection Act, but this protection is partial at best. A sizable
majority of OS&R Survey respondents (60%) cited the need to preserve
wildlife corridors as very important
(wooded, stream, river and pond areas/corridors) while another 69%
cited environmental preservation as very important.

Summary of Needs:

Identify, map, and prioritize wildlife habitats and
corridors for protection.

Establish and implement a land management program for
Town-owned lands.

Protect wetlands

Issue: Although most wetland areas
receive protection under state law, they and their buffers are
threatened by increased development. Even development that includes
buffer zones can harm these sensitive areas.

Summary of Needs:

Identify, map and prioritize wetlands for protection.

Establish more aggressive buffer zones through local
zoning.

Enforce existing protections and buffer zones.

Establish and implement a vernal pool certification
program.

Protect water supplies

Issue:
West Newbury residents access their water from private wells or the
Town water supply system. About one-third of the Town relies on
private wells. All private wells must be located within the same
parcel of land as the house. In April of 2003, the Town passed an
Inground Irrigation Bylaw which restricts the water source for
inground irrigation systems for lawns to private wells.

All other residences
are connected to the Town water system. Current practice allows
homes that are located within 1,000 feet of the Town’s water lines
to connect to this system. As described in Section 4, the need for
water by West Newbury residents connected to the Town water system
exceeds the demand during certain times of the year. Fifty per cent
of OS&R Survey respondents cited new well fields and water resources
as very important.

Summary of Needs:

Protect parcels of land which have been identified as
probable sources of new Town water.

Enact aquifer protection districts for existing and
future well sites.

Consider limiting connections to Town water until new
sources of Town water come on line.

Issue: West Newbury surface waters
include the Merrimack River, Mill Pond, Little Crane Pond,
Upper and Lower Artichoke Reservoirs,
Indian Hill Reservoir, and a variety of tributaries to the
Merrimack and Parker Rivers.As the Town becomes more
developed and as the population of nearby Towns increases, West
Newbury’s surface waters are at risk of water pollution and habitat
loss.

Summary of Needs:

Identify and acquire critical parcels of river front
property for water protection, habitat protection, and recreational
use.

Consider changing zoning in order to limit the number
of docks and the design of docks.

Strengthen West Newbury’s partnership with the
Merrimack River Watershed Council to coordinate water protection
efforts.

Work with the City of Newburyport to protect the
Artichoke River reservoir system and its buffers.

Many parcels owned both publicly and privately are covered by
various regulations which limit development within the Merrimack River flood plain and in areas
subject to the Wetlands Protection Act. The newly enacted Rivers Protection Bill will
limit some development within 200 feet of Town waterways -- including the Indian, Artichoke
and Merrimack Rivers and
Beaver and Saw Mill Brooks.

B. Summary of Community Needs

Introduction

Several areas of
concern surfaced in the public hearings and in the community survey
conducted in the spring of 2008. The Town needs that were most
frequently cited by participants and respondents included:

Preserve the Town’s rural character

Provide recreation opportunities for townspeople of
all ages and abilities, including maintaining active recreation
facilities and creating more recreation/nature programs for youths
and teens in particular

Analyze the Parks and Recreation proposal for a
Wellness and Recreation Center

Develop and maintain trails

Develop Merrimack River access for fishing and boating

Preserve the Town’s rural character

Issue:
“Rural character” emerged throughout the quantitative and narrative
portions of the survey as the most striking and valued feature of
the Town, encompassing open space, working farms, access to nature,
and wildlife as well as a sense of history, community, and “small
town feeling.” Respondents repeatedly cited rural character itself
or its attributes as very important to them and as their reason for
choosing to live in West Newbury. This finding reflects a similar
strong feeling expressed in the 2002 OS&R Survey.

Additionally, and
also tracking with responses from the 2002 OS&R Survey, many 2008
Survey respondents noted the Town is losing, or is in danger of
losing, its rural c